Technology-Remakes-the-Schools

TechnologyRemakestheSchoolsHowardGardnerTechnologyhasrevolutionizedtheworldinwhichschoolsoperate.Nowit’stimeforeducatorstocatchuptochange.1.Ahumanbeingmiraculouslytransportedfrom1900toourtimewouldrecognizemuchofwhatgoesonintoday’sclassrooms—theprevalentlecturing,theemphasisondrill,thedecontextualizedmaterialsandactivitiesrangingfrombanalreaderstoweeklyspellingtests.Withthepossibleexceptionofthechurch,fewinstitutionshavechangedaslittleinfundamentalwaysasthosechargedwiththeformaleducationofthenextgeneration.2.Contrastthiscontinuitywithchildren’sexperiencesoutsidetheschoolwalls.Inmodernsocietychildrenhaveaccesstoarangeofmediathatwouldhaveseemedmiraculousinanearlierera(andthatstillastonishesmembersoflessindustrializedsocieties):television,cellularphones,personalcomputerswithCD-ROMs,faxmachines,videodiscs,personalstereos,andstillandvideocameras.3.Thevisitorfromthepastwhowouldreadilyrecognizetoday’sclassroomwouldhavetroublerelatingtotheout-of-schoolworldofamodern10-year-old.IconfessthatIoftenexperiencesuchdifficultiesmyself.4.Schools—ifnoteducationgenerally—areinherentlyconservativeinstitutions.Inlargemeasure,Iwoulddefendthisconservatism.Butchangesinourworldaresorapidandsodecisivethatitwillnotbepossibleforschoolstoremainastheywereorsimplytointroduceafewsuperficialadjustments.Indeed,ifschoolsdonotchangerapidlyandradically,theyarelikelytobereplacedbyother,moreresponsive(thoughperhapslesscomfortableandlesslegitimate)institutions.5.Themostimportanttechnologicaleventofourtimeistheascendancyofthecomputer.Computersalreadyplayaprominentroleinmanyaspectsofourlives,fromtransportationcommunicationtopersonalbookkeepingandentertainment.Scarcelyoblivioustothesetrends,manyschoolsnowhavecomputersandnetworkingcapabilities.Tosomeextent,thesetechnologicalappurtenanceshavebeenabsorbedintothelifeoftheschool,thoughoftentheysimplydelivertheoldlessonsinamoreconvenientandefficientformat.6.Inthefuture,however,educationwillbeorganizedlargelyaroundthecomputer.Computerswillpermitadegreeofindividualization—personalizedcoachingortutoring—whichinthepastwasavailableonlytotherich.Allstudentsmayreceiveacurriculumtailoredtotheirneeds,learningstyle,paceandprofileofmastery,andrecordofsuccesswithearliermaterialsandlessons.Indeed,computertechnologypermitsustorealize,forthefirsttime,progressiveeducationalideasof“personalization”and“active,hands-onlearning”forstudentsallovertheworld.7.Computertechnologyputsalltheinformationintheworldatone’sfingertips,quiteliterally.Thisisbothablessingandacurse.Nolongerdowehavetospendlongperiodsoftimehuntingdownasourceoraperson—thesecanbefoundinstantaneously.SoonwewillnotevenhavetotypeinaninstructioninordertolearnthecapitalofMontana,thepopulationofKorea,orOhm’slaw;wewillbeabletosimplyaskaquestionoutloudandthecomputerwillprintoutorspeaktheanswer.Thuspeoplewillachieveinstant“culturalliteracy”.8.Lesshappily,theinternethasnomeansofqualitycontrol;“anyonecanplay”.Informationanddisinformationcomminglecomfortablyand,asofyet,therearenoreliablewaystodistinguishsensefromdistortionsanddownrightnonsenseontheNet.EthnographerSherryTurkletellsabouttheyoungchildwhoinsiststhat“therearealwaysriotswhentaxesgoup”becausethatisthecommonwisdomembeddedinthewidelyavailablegameprogram,SimCity.Identifyingthetrue,thebeautiful,andthegood—andwhichofthesetruths,beauties,orgoodsareworthknowing—constitutesaformidablechallenge.9.Itmightbesaid,inresponse,thattheworldhasalwaysbeenfilledwithmisinformation.Trueenough,butinthepasteducationalauthoritiescouldatleastchoosetheirfavoritetexts(andproscribeothers).Today’ssituation,witheveryonehavinginstantaccesstomillionsofsources,isunprecedented.10.Artificialintelligenceandvirtualrealityaretwocomputer-relatedtechnologiesthatmaycastalargeshadowoneducation.Muchofschoolplanningmaybedonenotbyhumanagentsbutbyprogramscreatedbyhumanagents;andmuchofwhatwasonceaccomplishedbytextbooksandoccasionalfieldtripswillnowbeperformedinvirtualreality.Onecanask:whatisthetruthvalueofmaterialspreparedentirelybynonhumanentities?11.Inaturnaboutfromprevioustrends,theacquisitionofcredentialsfromaccreditedinstitutionsmaybecomelessimportant.Individualswillbeabletoeducatethemselves(largelyifnotwholly)andtoexhibittheirmasteryinasimulatedsetting.Whypay$120,000togotolawschool,ifonecan“readlaw”asinearliertimesandthendemonstrateone’slegalskillsviacomputersimulation?Orlearntoflyaplaneorconductneurosurgerybysimilarmeans,forthatmatter?12.Muchofeducationinthepastwascalibratedtomakesurethatindividualscouldcarryoutaregularjob,reliably,throughouttheirproductiveadultyears.Nowadays,thisassumptionisdoublyflawed.First,almosteverythingthatcanbehandledalgorithmicallywillbecarriedoutbyautomata.Second,fewpeoplewillremaininthesameoccupationalnichefortheirwholelives;manywillmovefrequently(eithervoluntarilyorbynecessity)fromoneniche,company,andsectoroftheeconomytoanother.13.Theexplosionofnewandrapidlychangingrolesintheworkplacecomplicateseducationinunprecedentedways.Mostadultteachersandparentswillnothaveexperiencesonwhichtheycandrawtoprepareyoungstersforaworldinwhichth