Indy stops short in frustration as he realizes he must fight the master swordsman. Within seconds, however, he remembers his gun and quickly uses it to take out the warrior. Many in the audience l augh as they understand the irony of the scene. How outdated the sword really is when you have a weapon with a wider range. Similarly, teachers who only have chalk and erasers in their arsenal of teaching tools seem hopelessly outdated to those who have incorporated Internet access into their classroom activities.
Most teachers teach in traditional classrooms.
A teacher's days are filled with increasingly complex demands that were never covered during their preservice studies. Teachers feel obligated to be psychologist, mediator, nurse, sex counselor, ethicist, expert in their field, friend, authoritarian, and statistician. The suggestion that they become computer specialists frightens many teachers, especially those whose most recent technological advance has been receiving permission to use the collating copier instead of the mimeograph duplicating machine. The average age of teachers in the United States is 45 years old. Many teachers have used the same materials and methods for years, even as the many reforms imposed in the last three decades have challenged their beliefs and practices.