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It's quite clear the overarching things I've learned this semester about technology. I mean, just look at my first entry about how embarrassing it is to accidentally tweet and then read the rest of this--how I'm actually sizing up different types of technology based on their usefulness in the classroom based on my understanding of them. Part of me feels like being on a commercial just to help sponsor the idea of Technology. Zoom in on a college student up to her neck in twisted computer chords, her face lit by a blinking computer screen. Announcer: "Are you tired of spending endless hours trying to figure out what all those buttons and keys do?" College student looks up pathetically and nods. "Are you tired of looking like a fool by a little box that can't think for itself?" College student starts to weep. "Now, with just a little assistance, you can conquer a moderate amount of your technology anxieties!" College student beams with joy. Different shot of that same student walking down the stairs of a powerful looking building--possibly a university or corporation. Student: "I used to freak out about all things computer, but now I'm telling my superiors how to do things that can better their lives. Thanks, Technology!"

This new, expanded definition of literacy includes the development of a set of interrelated skills that include reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and questioning; all leading to the ability to critically assess and use information. We inhabit a world in which information is coming at us in ways that impact all of our senses. Today's teachers understand that giving their students the skills to interpret information, however it's packaged, is also an important part of educating learners who are prepared to succeed in this century's competitive global workplace. Teachers are teaching their students how to evaluate all types of information sources. Whether it's hard text, electronic informational sources, MTV, or a documentary film, teachers are helping students learn to think critically about the information they encounter. So, how does this instruction look in the content area classroom?

We can’t answer the question “Is tech useful in schools?” until we’ve grappled with a deeper question: “What kinds of learning should be taking place in those schools?” If we favor an approach by which students actively construct meaning, an interactive process that involves a deep understanding of ideas and emerges from the interests and questions of the learners themselves, well, then we’d be open to the kinds of technology that truly support this kind of inquiry. Show me something that helps kids create, design, produce, construct—and I’m on board. Show me something that helps them make things collaboratively (rather than just on their own), and I’m even more interested—although it’s important to keep in mind that meaningful learning never requires technology, so even here we should object whenever we’re told that software (or a device with a screen) is essential.

If you haven’t given much thought to the kind of intellectual life we might want schools to foster, then it might sound exciting to “personalize” or “customize” learning. But as I argued not long ago, we shouldn’t confuse personalized learning with personal learning. The first involves adjusting the difficulty level of prefabricated skills-based exercises based on students’ test scores, and it requires the purchase of software. The second involves working with each student to create projects of intellectual discovery that reflect his or her unique needs and interests, and it requires the presence of a caring teacher who knows each child well.