In a recent article, English teacher Alan Warhaftig argues that the emphasis on technology in the classroom harkens back to an earlier era of vocationalism in schools and threatens “to divert attention from academic content.” A technology-infused curriculum, he argues, may weaken students’ intellectual skills and, ironically, jeopardize their ability to thrive in the global economy.
What’s your view? Do computers in the classroom detract from deeper academic learning? How should technology be used in schools? What skills, vocational or otherwise, do today’s students need to learn, and how are they best taught?