Journal 3

Social Justice: Choice or necessity? By Colleen Swain and David Edyburn


This was a interesting article about equal opportunity in the classroom for students. Evidentially, the issuance of computers in the classroom hasn’t been a nationwide mandate in spite of government studies. As this article indicates, the U.S. Department of Labor did a study in 1992 which noted that, “at least 80% of all jobs in the next two decades would require workers to be technologically fluent.” This being said, it’s hard to believe that it’s not mandatory for every classroom in the U.S. to be equipped with computers or has integrated technology as part of the class curriculum. Technology is a great tool; it often makes learning more efficient, challenging and fun for students. Technology if implemented correctly in class can help students from all types of backgrounds including those with learning disabilities. Students with minor to severe learning disabilities can improve their academic progress through programs tailored to meet their needs. This benefits other students as well. Disabled students get the help they need while not taking away learning time from other students that the teacher may otherwise ignore due to time constraints. The teacher can evenly distribute his or her time to the entire class giving everyone an equal opportunity to learn.

1. My first question is, why don’t all teachers use technology in the class? The use of technology is not only practical as an educational tool but it’s becoming a way of life. New generations of kids are often more familiar with technology than the older generations of teachers. Teachers from the baby boom generations, most of who are retiring did not grow up with the familiarity of technology as a way of life. Many older adults are just now familiarizing themselves with the use of cell phones, where as younger generations see cell phones as a mandatory way of life. Therefore, older generations of teachers are unfamiliar with the benefits and use of technology and tend to be afraid of it. These attitudes make it less likely for them to implement technology in their class. However, through education, I believe the tide is changing and teachers will be implementing technology into the classroom more.


2. My second question is, what can teachers and administrators do about the lack or technology in schools? First of all, there needs to be a national dialogue about the importance of U.S. students learning the proper technical skills to be competitive with students from around the world. Secondly, teachers that have the technical knowledge need to help out those that don’t. Finally, parents and the public need to put pressure on their elected officials to mandate the implementation of technology into schools as well as providing adequate training to better prepare teachers to integrate it into their class. These are small but realistic steps that can be achieved as long as people care enough to make it happen.