Evidence strongly suggests that technology alone is no panacea. Enrollments are rising, and many districts are grappling with an increasingly diverse student population. And many Americans worry that large numbers of children aren't even mastering rudimentary reading and writing skills, let alone learning how to navigate the new high-tech information byways. Not if they are adopted in a vacuum. Though some schools that use computer technology are achieving impressive results, many factors contribute to their overall success.
Evidence strongly suggests that technology alone is no panacea.
The Internet will be a valuable educational tool only if it is a source of high-quality, reliable, and relevant information that can be efficiently found and adapted to educational needs. We must define more clearly what intellectual skills students need, and develop better techniques for teaching them. People have been talking for years about the need to train teachers in the use of technology. We need better tools to gauge whether students are truly benefiting from new technologies. Public support for the substantial continuing investment the new tools require is unlikely to endure unless we can demonstrate that there are clear benefits.