ACL, Day 2: Still Wired after all these Years

[Andrew Reinhard]

I spoke with about a dozen people today on "digital pedagogy" and learned that it is alive and well, but mostly in the form of data projectors and SMART Boards. One delegate says she uses "everything" when it comes to technology in the classroom, while others complain that it's a money thing when trying to acquire hardware. Money is indeed a huge issue when it comes to schools and districts applying for technology in the classroom, but perhaps the biggest issue is the standardization and availability of the hardware for students and teachers to use. It's not fair to students (and instructors) to use high-speed Internet access while their peers struggle with a dial-up connection from home. It's not fair for some classmates to have a brand new Windows Vista Home Premium PC while others struggle with a Win98 SE cast-off. This is especially true when dealing with remote access to eLearning platforms, Second Life, etc. The problem might be addressed through assignments of national standards (like in the UK). We need technical parity and an IT staff in each school that is full-time and a) knows and b) cares about implementing classroom tech (something that goes way beyond managing a Windows network).

Andrew