Technology in education is here to stay, that much is clear. When it comes to technological use in education- many schools are often left with the question of how to incorporate the technology in the classrooms? According to Mark Webster, "Technology leaders were guided by two main approaches to technology decision making..curriculum should drive technology, and Keep up with technology (or be left behind" (Webster, 2017).
Today many school districts are often torn with how to keep up with technology, how to be fiscally responsible all while trying to determine what role the technology will play in how it will help drive student achievement. Although many of the participants in Webster's article were optimistic about technology in the classroom (28 of 31), there is disagreement in how to implement the technology (p.3). Some technology leaders feel that technology is a tool that should assist students and that schools should not incorporate technology without further understanding how it will benefit students. According to one participant, " I'm not a fan of technology for its own sake, and as a decision maker I like to see reasons for implement technology"(p.6). While some educational technology leaders feel that technology is a tool others believe that it is essential to keep up with technology to drive student engagement. One technology specialist says, "I would like to say it is solid research that influences me, but I don't need research to see students get excited using response systems..The game has changes and research cannot keep up with the changing tide, and I don't want my student left behind (p.8)."
While there are merits of both the philosophies stated in Dr. Webster's article, using technology just for the sake of using technology is inefficient. Technology is often a drain on a school's resources and if not implemented correctly will often lead to an inferior educational climate. It is clear that technology can be extremely useful, but if the curriculum does not drive the technology then students will have learned very little in their k-12 years. Using curriculum to drive technology will ensure that students will be fluent with the skills in both content and technology needed for the rest of their lives.
