Management refers to those organizational practices that affect how decisions are made and how resources are used. The arrival of computers in schools did add another to the management tasks necessary in schools as it became necessary to draft and approve policies related to technology (acceptable use policies for example), to plan for both large Read More
Comparing the first desktop computers used in schools to the computing devices available to students and teachers today, one can see important differences in the nature of the computing tasks that can be done, the rapidity and ease of data sharing, and the amount of data that can be shared, as well as the senses Read More
In 1993, Seymour Papert imagined two time-traveling professionals from 100 years earlier; he speculated the physician would be flummoxed by the technology as well as the work of doctors and nurses in the 20th century clinic, but the teacher would find the technology and the work in a 20th century classroom very familiar. Papert based Read More
182: When Computers Started School Historians of technology trace the beginnings of computers from the analytic machine of Charles Babbage in the 19th century. The history of electronic digital computing is usually measured from the creation of Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the computer built to handle the massive computations necessary for military applications Read More
My social media feeds have been filled with many stories about “the next big thing” in technology and education. I suppose we expect such lists to be popular at important (and arbitrary) transitions like the end of one decade and the beginning of next. (For me, I am a few short weeks from working as Read More
So, we want our schools to be technology-rich places. That means we need to make sure there is mutual support for: Networks to be are properly planned; Devices to be properly installed and configured; Management is reasonable according to what we can afford and how we do business; Problems are resolved in a timely manner; Read More
My experiences have convinced me that computer-mediated communication is fundamental to life in the 21st century; humans adopt (with increasing rapidity) the information technologies in their environment and humans adapt their communication habits to the tools. Humans also exapt technology; they find new and unintended uses for technologies. In biology exaptations are those structures and Read More
Information technology is an essential aspect of every school. Students and teachers use computers to consume and create digital information. Administrators and staff use cloud-based student information and business systems to manage data and facilitate operations. Librarians manage digital collections and subscriptions to full-text databases, and technology specialists support learning management systems and other infrastructure Read More
The first school computers were mainframe computers. As with all mainframe installations, the computer was physically located away from the end users, so teachers and students never saw or touched the case containing the processor. These machines were used for instruction in the simplest terms: Students were presented with information, and then they were presented Read More
When listening to students and teachers, as well as administrators and staff who comprise the users of ICT systems in schools, I hear complaints about the technology (they tell me it is unreliable and insufficient). I also hear from them complaints about the people charged with managing ICT (they tell me technologists are unresponsive to Read More