The Gates Foundation has recently issued a report “Technology and Effective Teaching” that surveyed 400 teachers across the United States. According to the report, 67% of teachers use technology in class. 20% of the teachers said that they felt that technology should not be used in the classroom. In general, teachers remained skeptical that there is no proof that using technology provided actual value for student learning. In terms of barriers to technology use in the classroom, 69% of teachers cited the lack of access to computers, 62% – personal comfort level, and 27% – union and school rules! We wonder, – what proof are the teachers seeking to be sure that they should use technology in education? By the time the studies get done and published, the technology will make yet another leap forward, and the gap between technology and education will widen even further. What proof is good enough for the teachers? It is important that teachers themselves get educated in what the modern technology can offer for and in the classrooms, before deciding whether there is any value in it for the students.
