Using Technology to
Transform Education
Introduction
The use of technology for educational purposes is on the rise.
More students than ever before are taking courses online or being
exposed to blended learning opportunities that infuse traditional
instruction with digital components. Increasingly, teachers are
using tools that enhance student participation during class
and allow for ongoing assessment of student progress. New
technologies are also helping to inform teachers’ instructional
practices and provide students with additional avenues for
learning outside the classroom.
To prepare students for success after high school, Tennessee
has committed to a comprehensive education reform plan that
includes raising academic standards, supporting teachers and
leaders, and using data to enhance student learning. Tennessee’s
educators are using technology to support all components of
this plan. The work to date has included using technology to
deliver information to students in new ways and engage them as
active learners in the classroom, connect students with access to
rigorous or individualized coursework, help practitioners develop
and share their best practices, and give teachers real-time access
to data on student performance in their classroom.
In January 2013, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam made an
unprecedented commitment to significantly enhance the
technological capacity of schools and districts to use technology
to improve education. To ensure that this investment is used in
a meaningful way, it is crucial to not only understand how our
newest technology is and can be used in classrooms, but also
what steps should be taken to support educators to use new
tools and techniques and build the infrastructure to support
technology use over time. From a state and national standpoint,
technology must continue to be used to enhance learning. Many
current challenges and barriers to integrating technology in
schools exist, but there is much Tennessee can do to improve
moving forward.
March 2013
Historical Context
The term “educational technology” refers to a broad range of
devices, applications, and curricular materials used by schools to
facilitate and enhance teaching practices and student learning.i
The term also refers to the ways schools use these tools and
materials to create more educational opportunities for students
that are tailored to their individual abilities and learning styles.
Results from several studies show that the use of technology in
classrooms increases student interest and engagement in specific
content areas and creates opportunities for cooperative and
project-based learning.ii
The current influx of technology is not the first time that reformers
have sought to dramatically improve learning and instruction
through new media. In the 1920s, film was supposed to provide
teachers with an engaging presentation platform and a broad
range of content. Reformers in the 1930s wanted radio to open
classrooms to the world and “allow students access to the finest
teachers, the best authorities in every field, and the world’s
leaders.”iii In the 1970s, people had high hopes for instructional
television, but its introduction into the classroom did not come
with effective training for teachers and essentially became
entertainment for students while teachers graded work. The
exciting new advances of film, radio, and television were not
able to transform education as intended because of three key
issues: 1) After investing in the initial purchases, schools and
districts failed to allocate funds for upkeep and new equipment;
2) teachers were not trained on how to integrate new technology
into their classrooms; and 3) teachers were not involved in
decisions about content and format, and were often not consulted
on how to best integrate technology into the classroom.iv
Tennessee has an unprecedented
opportunity to leverage technology
to transform education and prepare
students for success in college and
the workforce.
1207 18th Avenue South, Suite 326, Nashville, TN 37212 — tel 615.727.1545 — fax 615.727.1569 — www.tnscore.org