Implications of Home Technology for School Decision-Making

Surveys at a midwestern middle school showed that most students have much greater access to computer technology than previously predicted, including such sophisticated accessories as graphics packages, scanners, fax, and modems for e-mail. Both students and teachers reported the need for learning and using computer technology the way adults use it in the workplace. While students want the hardware and software to produce original, professional-looking documents, teachers want both traditional television hookups and cutting-edge instructional tools. The ongoing controversy about computer placement in labs versus classrooms appears to be a function of shortage within a technology vision balancing equity and efficiency. Teachers are virtually unanimous in wanting all teachers to have at least one computer in their classrooms while concurring in the need for grouped computers for instruction in some classrooms. Reliable, empirical information about students' and teachers' exposure to and application of computer technology outside of schools is essential when school personnel struggle with the decision-making that accompanies the spread of technology in education.