Networked computers with multimedia capabilities are increasingly being used for teaching, research, and service activities in institutions of higher education. In order to meet user demands and to avoid costly mistakes, colleges and universities need to develop assessment strategies which can reliably determine their computer needs. As the “trainer of trainers,” a college of education should take a vital leadership role in the integration of technology and instruction for pre-service teachers and administrators. A survey instrument, recently implemented in the Education Department at the University of New Hampshire, was found to be effective in evaluating the levels of computer use of its faculty members and undergraduate and graduate students. The questionnaire is designed to measure sixteen computer skills and can be adapted for other academic departments. Results of this needs assessment led to various technology-based initiatives for educators at the university and in partnership with the public schools.
What is the school principal's role in ensuring ethical technology use while promoting the use of wireless and advanced technologies in instruction? The rapid advances in technology in only the past 5 years, including the increase in laptops and smart phones, have transformed both educational practices and the role of the school principal as technology leader. In this research analysis, social, legal, and moral issues have emerged as three major concerns. Principals must advocate for equity and access to new technologies in their schools, with an awareness of student diversity in race, language, special needs, and gender. By closing the “digital divide” gap, promoting safe internet use policies, adhering to copyright laws, and ensuring environmentally sound procedures, the educational leader can meet the challenges of emerging technology use.
Most American public schools and the communities that fund them are finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the new wave of technology. Unfortunately, the “digital divide” between the “haves” and the “have nots” is widening. While some well-financed suburban schools have installed “wireless” computers and have trained teachers to use the new technologies, poorer urban and rural schools are lagging behind with outdated computers and insufficient Internet access. This gap has serious negative consequences for the future of the next generation. Those students from urban and rural working class families, largely racial and ethnic minorities, will be unable to compete with their wealthier, better educated, and more technologically advanced peers in the global marketplace. The purpose of this comparative analysis is to discover the causes of this “digital divide” between public schools and to recommend solutions to the inequities in students' access to technological innovations.
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