1999

This week we are discussing mobile learning or M-learning. For this topic we read Lei & Zhao's academic paper entitled One-to-one computing: What Does It Bring to Our Schools (2008, Journal of Educational Computing Research).  One particularly interesting idea within this paper was the idea of "oversold and underused." Lei & Zhao explained,

                        One criticism of sizable expenditures for computers in schools is that computers
                        are often “oversold but underused” (Cuban, 2001). In other words, computers are
                        purchased and put in classrooms but are not sufficiently utilized by teachers
                        and students. In a one-to-one computing environment, does this criticism apply?
                        When every student has a computer, will it still be “oversold and underused?”

This idea of "oversold and underused" made me flashback to my junior year of high school. Though this is not a story about one-to-one computing or mobile learning, it is about this concept of "oversold and underused" in a school system. I was a junior in high school back in 1999. I was taking Mr. Urbanek's [picture a tall, skinny middle aged man with long blonde hair. he was seriously stuck in 1970. he seriously brought a deer head in to school and let it decompose in a garbage can in his office all year. yah. no joke. he was a weird bird.] biology class. As a culminating end-of-the-year project we had to create a portfolio of , well, to be honest, I don't remember what the portfolio was on. I do remember we had to use sources from newspapers, encyclopedias, journals, magazines, etc. and NO MORE than two from the internet. My parents had just invested in Encarta for home use (for those who are unfamiliar with Encarta it was basically an encyclopedia on a cd-rom). For Mr. Urbanek's project, I used Encarta for many of my sources. It was, after all, an encyclopedia. When I got my project back I got a big, fat F. The reason: too many internet sources. I was upset. Encarta was NOT the internet but he didn't want to hear it. In his mind, anything from a computer was "the internet". In the end, I set-up a meeting with the principal and sold my case. My mom, too. They were pushing technology and "computer labs" so much during this time. However, there was a teacher failing a student on a project because she used this "technology." The principal forced Mr. Urbanek to change my grade. He was seriously upset at the meeting and changed it with disgust and extreme reservation.

So, when this concept of "oversold and underused" was brought up this week it really resonated with me and this experience in high school (when technology was really being pushed in schools for the first time - besides Math Blaster and Oregon Trail, that is.). Technology in education is important. It's a skill set that every 21st century learner needs. Do I believe it should be at the forefront of every lesson - no. Do I think is the missing puzzle piece to improve the malfunctions of America's schools - no. Can it replace a teacher - absolutely not. I do, however, feel it is a valuable tool for educators and learners. Add it to our already brightly decorated and efficient teacher toolboxes. The problems lie currently with some educators using this said technology inappropriately (as a babysitter) or simply not being trained to use it effectively within their lessons (and, of course, classroom management skill sets need to be on point for effectiveness!). And, in some cases, they are simply too scared or grumpy to use/ try it. More professional development is needed for educators when it comes to implementing technology so it is worthwhile for the students and teacher. Looking back, poor Mr. Urbanek likely didn't understand the difference between the internet and a CD-rom/computer based encyclopedia. I know there are educators just as confused or technology illiterate in our present day schools. This needs fixed. We can't allow technology to be oversold and underused. It's simply not fair to our 21st century learners. And, frankly, to our teachers, too.

That's a wrap.
Sara