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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Blaming Doctors and Teachers for Underuse of High-Tech Tools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Blaming Doctors and Teachers for Underuse of High-Tech Tools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Blaming Doctors and Teachers for Underuse of High-Tech Tools

Sample patient record view from an image-based...

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If anything has been learned from the introduction of desktop computers into schools since the early 1980s–yes, thirty years ag0–it is that increasing the access of students to machines, from 125 students per computer to currently less than 4:1 does not automatically lead to teachers and students using computers for instruction routinely. Access to an innovation, then, does not mean frequent teacher use in classrooms.

How come? The usual suspect is the teacher. Blaming teachers for infrequent use of electronic machines was common in the past when technological innovations were launched but is clearly foolish today when most