Education

Top-Down Technology

November 13, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

In a Classroom Tech column, Kevin Bushweller questions whether it’s wise for school districts, in their quest to keep pace with technological change, to force innovation on teachers. He cites the case of a Virginia district that recently began requiring its teachers to maintain classroom blogs. Among other things, he wonders whether edicts like that might not sap educators’ sense of discovery and initiative in using new technologies.

What’s your view? How involved should school administrators be in teachers’ decisions about what technology to use? Do teachers need to be required to use certain tech programs in order to remain proficient? How do you balance school technology goals with teachers’ professional autonomy?

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

Events

Webinar Supporting Older Struggling Readers: Tips From Research and Practice
Reading problems are widespread among adolescent learners. Find out how to help students with gaps in foundational reading skills.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Improve Reading Comprehension: Three Tools for Working Memory Challenges
Discover three working memory workarounds to help your students improve reading comprehension and empower them on their reading journey.
Content provided by Solution Tree
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2026 Survey Results: How School Districts are Finding and Keeping Talent
Discover the latest K-12 hiring trends from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of job seekers and district HR professionals.

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 Did You Follow This Week’s Education News? Take This Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Did the SNAP Lapse Affect Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz New Data on School Cellphone Bans: How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Does Social Media Really Affect Kids? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read