America's Technology Literacy Challenge
By "technological literacy" the Technology for All Americans Project means "much more than just knowledge about computers and their application." The "technological literacy" advocated in Getting America's Students Ready for the 21st Century: Meeting the Technology Literacy Challenge is of a narrower scope: "computer skills and the ability to use . . . other technology to improve learning, productivity, and performance." Yet it is "not just knowing how to use technology for word processing, spreadsheets, and Internet access," but also "using the powerful learning opportunities afforded by technology," some of which are indicated below.
The reason for advocating this technological literacy is evidence that "properly used, technology increases students' learning opportunities, motivation, and achievement." (p. 10) Of the "hundreds of studies that show positive benefits from the use of technology," two are specifically cited on page 22: a US Department of Education-funded study of nine "technology rich" schools (see box), and a ten-year study support by Apple Computers.
The purpose of this "Report to the Nation on Technology and Education," which is addressed by Education Secretary Richard W. Riley to Members of Congress, is "a strategic framework to support efforts by states and local communities to develop their own plans for promoting the achievement of high standards by all students through the application of technology. . . . The federal role . . . is to provide the leadership momentum for reaching the educational technology goals through targeted funding and support for activities that will catalyze national action." (p. 39) The educational technology goals, which derive from President Clinton's 1996 State of the Union Address, are four in number:
1. "All teachers in the nation will have the training and support they need to help students learn using computers and the information highway."
2. "All teachers and students will have access to modern multimedia computers in their classrooms."
3. "Every classroom will be connected to the information superhighway."
4. "Effective software and on-line learning resources will be an integral part of every school's curriculum."
Regarding these four goals, two special observations need to be made. The first goal is the training of teachers to use educational technology, a recognition that technology is worthless without the knowhow to use it, and this point is made repeatedly throughout the document.
The second observation is that the second goal is referring to multimedia computers, and there is concern that "many schools in poor areas tend to use computers only in computer labs and merely to develop basic skills such as typing and word processing. . . ." (p. 36) The reason that multimedia technology is stressed is that it "expands the possibilities for more comprehensive student assessments that require students' active participation and application of knowledge" (p. 19); also, "by saving work samples in different suggests at different times during the year, teachers can display them in rapid succession to demonstrate and assess growth" and "computer-adaptive testing . . . promises to administer tests more efficiently by adjusting the level of difficulty of the questions. . . ."
Right now only four percent of our schools have the desired ratio of one multimedia computer for every five students, and only nine percent of our classrooms are connected to the Internet. There is presently one multimedia computer for every thirty-five students (although if less powerful computers are included the ratio is one for every eleven students). The U.S. is presently spending $3.3 billion per year for educational technology, about 3-7% of total educational expenditures, and $800 million of this comes from federal funds. About 9% of the educational technology expenditures go for teacher training.
But to achieve the four educational technology goals will cost much more. Estimates have ranged from $8 to $20 billion per year for the next five to ten years, and 30% of this "necessary for teachers to have the training and support they need." (p. 47) To this end President Clinton has proposed adding to already existing federal funding programs a $2 billion Technology Literacy Challenge Fund over the next five years. To receive a share of this fund, a state must 1) "develop a strategy for enabling every school in the state to meet the four technology goals," 2) obtain local support "matching at least the amount of federal support," and 3) "set benchmarks" and "report publicly at the end of every school year the progress made in achieving its benchmarks. . . ." (p. 40)
As the report acknowledges, "Almost every aspect of technology in education . . . is changing extremely rapidly." (p. 49) It therefore remains to be see whether even 10 years of funding will "ensure that technological literacy becomes the nation's 'new basic' alongisde reading, writing, and arithmetic." (p. 50)
Four Characteristics of Technology Rich Schools
1. concentrated, conscious, and explicit planning among school leaders, families, and students to create "learner-centered" environments.
2. goals and challenging standards for student achievement . . . clearly articulated.
3. restructuring of the school to support the learner-centered environment and achievement of standards.
4. near universal access to computer technology (at least one computer for every five students).
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