 In
its report to the President, the Panel on Educational Technology
made two high-level strategic recommendations that it believed
to be of utmost importance.
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The first is that the nation's schools focus on learning with
technology, not about technology. This recommendation reinforces
the concept of technology as an important tool and reminds us
that simply acquiring technology-related knowledge and skills
is not enough. The second recommendation is that schools should
emphasize content and pedagogy, not just hardware. This may require
some schools to rethink the role and use of technology and focus
attention on its potential of technology to help achieve goals
pertaining to education reform efforts. New teaching and learning
strategies may be necessary to promote the development of higher-order
reasoning and problem-solving skills.
Jolene Dockstader described the many facets of technology integration
when writing about the teachers of the 21st century.
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She notes that integration can include learning about technology
but that students should do this by applying computer skills in
meaningful ways. Software should assist students to use computers
flexibly, purposefully, and creatively. Integration works by having
the curriculum drive technology use, not the other way around. She
summarizes integration as organizing the goals of the curriculum
and technology use into a "coordinated, harmonious whole."
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