Discussion 2

The Cuban article was a bit dated, but I definitely think that there were some things in there that are still relevant today. I found the opening of this article with the teacher anecdote--the use of an overhead projector as a spotlight--quite interesting. Sure overhead projectors are old technology, but the teacher, Alison Piro, manipulated it in a way that benefitted her and her students. Piro herself was fascinating to me. She really seemed to grasp that students should use computers and other technology to their benefit, but Piro also seemed to recognize that technology in combination with pen and paper created a better product. It reminded me of having teachers request that a book, newspaper, or magazine source had to be included in a research paper. In other words, I couldn't use only internet sources. During my internship, I was delighted to find out that high school teachers still do this. Another thing that Piro mentioned that I liked was her assertion that one of the most important things a teacher can do is pick the right assignment--which means that we must be especially attuned to what engages our students.
This article also made me wonder about the obsession we have with the students to computers ratio. For the last 10+ years, we have been concerned with minimizing this ratio without fully considering how beneficial it would be. As Piro pointed out, if all we are doing with computers when we have them is word processing, what's the point? With recent studies suggesting that students are not gaining anything by an increase of technology in the classroom, why do we bother? I have to assume that we teachers are not effectively using the available technology to engage our students. I guess to have it is one thing; to use it properly is another.