Tech in the classroom

Let me start by saying that at the high school level I am an advocate for technology.
I think that the right investmenst made by a team of experienced educators can make a huge difference in the classroom. I use computer based presntations on big screen TV's and use data projectors etc. whenever possible.

Now for K-6: Take all the computer labs out of the elementary schools and use the space for reading or art... whatever! I haven't seen any studies supporting the use of high tech in the elementary world. I have seen many that have shown problems with the use of computers etc. in the classroom. (See Macleans issues from August) We could much better use money spent on technology in libraries, gyms and art rooms.

Any technological skill acquired during k-6 could likely be caught up in the fall of grade seven. That is if the technology learned still exists. (This is my first crop of grade 10's that didn't start school in a DOS world!)

Too many districts in North America jumped on the technology bandwagon too quickly and bought a load of junk machines without too much thought.
In their defense it was uncharted territory and a lot was learned from the mistakes made in the early days. Our school made some but probably had more success than many, we also quickly learned to wait and watch what some other schools did when some new technology was coming out. Unfortunately some districts even scrificed staff salaries for technology purchases.

I found in interesting that some companies donated varying amounts of software to schools and baords depepnding on the partnerships they built. Apple and Microsoft were bothe notable in their contributions of their products. I heard of an interesting project that HP ran for a while in the 90's. They supported innovative schools by supplying them with things like sandboxes and wooden blocks etc., learning tools designed to develope the kind of thinkers they might hire some time later.

Technology education in small doeses during the middle and high school years is plenty, take the labs out of k-6 and use the money wisely; good amchines in the offices and on teachers desks. Kids will be exposed to plenty of technology. The few kids that do not have access at home can still use thetechniology at a friend's house, an afterschool program or the public library.