Education

Can Technology Transform Schools?

May 01, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Results from a recent federal report on the impact of educational software on learning found that the test scores of students using the technology were no better than those of students who did not use it.

Even so, the results are not evidence that technology cannot be a powerful learning tool, writes Henry Kelly in this Education Week Commentary. Though technology is omnipresent in today’s “flat” world, says Kelly, it took some time, and a lot of research and development, for the commercial and corporate worlds to work out how best to use new software to revolutionize business practices.

Technology-based instruction can work in education, says Kelly, but not until the federal government funds adequate research and development to “design effective instructional software and to test innovations to see what works and what doesn’t.”

What do you think? Should the federal government do more to ensure that new technologies in education live up to their promise?

A version of this news article first appeared in the TalkBack blog.

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz What is a Project 2025 Author Doing at the Education Department? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 11, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read
Education Quiz What Is the #1 Factor Boosting Students' STEM Motivation? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 4, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read