Oversold Underused After reading this book, I learned that we should think critically about the role of technology in our school. Many educators and all school stakeholders just believe in the role of computer to create better education, but only few know how to utilize computers to enhance learning and the quality of education. Therefore, in this paper I would like to share about Cuban’s thought regarding this issue and my reflection and expectation of our future education. Cuban (2001) mentioned a syllogism that reflected venture capitalists’, software engineers’, and computer programmers’ beliefs of technology in Silicon Valley as follow: “Change makes a better society, technology brings about change, therefore, technology makes better society.” (p.29) For them computer is a “magic bullet” to create better education. In fact, based on the researches, Cuban shows that technology did not make change in the quality of education itself. The problem was that although teachers and students have maximal access to computer, there were minimal changes because computers were not integrated in classroom practice. In the book oversold underused, Cuban provided analysis about how computers are utilized in school. Based on some researches mentioned in the book regarding computer usage in schools and university, he said “Like Silicon Valley teachers in preschools, kindergartens, and high schools, Standford professors are hardly technophobes or skeptics resistant to using technology outside of their classrooms. Why, then,
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in the heartland of high-‐tech innovation, where beliefs in technological progress run strong and equipment is abundant, has there been so little use of the new machines and software inside classrooms and so little change in existing teaching practices?” (p.130)
Further in chapter five he mentioned several findings. One of the findings is that less than10 percent of teachers were serious users that utilize computers in classrooms. These teachers were using computer once a week. 20 and 30 percent were occasional to rare users, and over 50 percent were nonusers. Based on the research he wants to show although many schools in Silicon Valley have sufficient technology, it does not guarantee that educators and students have used them effectively in the classroom. For teachers, computers are used mainly for preparing lessons, doing research, and administrative things whereas for students, they mostly used computers to type papers or assignment, play games, explore CD-‐ROMS and Internet browsing. Cuban also mentioned in his findings “we found no clear and substantial evidence of students increasing their academic achievement as a result of using information technologies” (p.133)
I learned from this book that many people believe in computers, but only few
people are serious users. I personally believe that if we can utilize computers very well and integrate computers into our curriculum instruction, education will be meaningful. Cuban does not say that computers should not be used at school, but he tends to make us questions the role of technology and think how we use these technologies to create better society. Those thoughts are very important for
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educators and all schools stakeholders. Teachers mainly use computers to just maintain old classroom practices that have tendency to be teacher-‐centered.
We realized that currently computer is a common tool for teachers and
students all over the world. The development of technology is also encouraging people to get familiar with it. We live in technology era and many students are even digital dossiers. They are growing up with technology that makes them computer literate. This affects their learning styles. However, I found out that not many educators ready for that. Based on my experience teaching in Indonesia, there are many teachers that have lack of skill in utilizing computers to enhance learning. Therefore, there is an urgency to provide training for educators so that we can take benefit from the possibility of computers to help our students to be better citizens.
I am glad that in the discussion forum about this book I posted a question
regarding an ideal school. I got many important information regarding ideal schools in the forum. Based on the discussion most of us have similar expectation to have a school that embrace students’ creativity and talent. There is no standardize test and mainly students do project instead of just having lectures and paper test. In order to prepare students for their future job, school provides apprentice for students. Students learn through experience and they also learn about collaboration and teamwork with their friends. The school is not really a school, but it is a learning community. The role of technology here is as supplement to enhance student-‐ centered learning. The school like high-‐tech high seems to be our ideal school. I want to build the similar school in Indonesia. I am really a dreamer here, but I really hope that this dream will come true in the future.
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The fact that educators are lack of skill in utilizing technology to enhance
teaching and learning makes me think that there is an urgency of training about education technology. As 21st century teachers we should be ready for helping students to learn with technology. Thus, an ideal school in technology era should provide access and skill to educators and students to be media literate. Technology will be used as tool to help students increase their creativity and talent and help them to be better citizens.
Reference: Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and underused: Computers in the classroom. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
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