To a growing number of educators and policymakers, school reform without technology makes about as much sense as an Internet without computers. First, there's the issue of relevance. There's no point in planning the schools of tomorrow, these advocates argue, if they ignore technology that's already commonplace today. But even more important is technology's potential as a catalyst for change. Teachers change the way they run their classrooms.
Parents become more involved.
Assessments reflect real-world activities. Children enjoy learning. It's a glue that holds it all together. The following section of Technology Counts '98 examines this idea in depth by considering the role technology can play in achieving 10 goals of the reform movement. These are by no means the only goals of education reform, but they are 10 in which technology can pack a powerful punch.