Ken Stein, Margaret Fiore, and Paul Allison recently did some thinking about teaching reading, writing, and technology in New York City schools. One of our concerns had to do with the expectations teachers have when they ask students to read and write using the Internet. It's probably true that most teachers ask students "to find" things on the Internet, "print," and/or "copy." We see examples of this all over the place. Teachers ask students to "find images" and "paraphrase text" found on the internet, then glue it all together on poster board. Are teachers aware students can do more than that, and are they willing and able to to more?
Another question have has to do with whether we teach technology to learn literacy or literacy to learn technology or something else. We think this question is important because this is an issue for many teachers, especially those who are fearful of technology. Still others are reluctant to use working computers. Recently a teacher said to another that he prefers not to have students use computers because it means he wopuld ahve to use them too and he thinks using computers is "work" and he doens't want to do more of it. Sadly this teacher whose opinion is that technology is to be learned has put his students at a disadvantage. Looking at this question from this perspective admitts that most teachers see technology as either as something that is apart from other things and must be learned.
One interesting question that came up for us has to do with what to do now that some of us finally have access. For example at the school where Margaret is working, she wonders what's going to happen next fall, when every classroom will have a laptop cart? How will the never-before abundance of computers, alone (never mind LCD carts etc.), get used? Currently, 5000 students and 300 faculty members try to share 6 LCD carts, no labs English classes can regularly use, 3 Smartboards...it will be like Rip Van Winkle waking up. This is an interesting problem (Don't we all wish we had this problem?) because this sounds like a wonderful opportunity to make sweeping changes to school culture and the use of technology. This could happen if teachers are given the chance to collaborate and decide how teachers will use the laptops in their classrooms and define student expectations. In this discussion could be the forwarding of the idea of what kind of browser to use, which web sites can help to archieve and track student progress while students are engaged in class projects and assignments, and how students will present their work. Having this discussion could help alleviate the worry of will this equipment be used?", or "Will students value their work with technology?" Maybe we need to offer invitation to study groups with descriptions like "technology-infused pedagogy."