About "Public School Teachers Using Machines in the Next Decade" by Larry Cuban

The article “Public School Teachers Using Machines in the Next Decade” by Larry Cuban addresses how schools will be using technology in the classroom in ten years. He gives three possible scenarios that can occur. He believes the elementary schools will change more than the secondary schools. The different possibilities are “The Technophile’s Scenario,” “The Preservationist’s Scenario,” and “The Cautious Optimist’s Scenario.” The first scenario is where there are plenty of computers, software, and equipment for classrooms and the teacher is more of a coach or facilitator. The second is where technology is put in place, but does not change the teacher’s role. The third scenario is where technology in the schools will slowly change the role of the teacher and their methods.

Of these three Cuban thinks “The Technophile’s Scenario” is the least likely to take place. His reasoning for this is that “technophiles often underestimate the influence of the age-graded school organization in shaping teachers’ workplace routines” and “they often minimize the power of social beliefs that have endured for centuries and perform important functions in society.” He claims it will be difficult to change the thinking of the teachers on how schools are to be operated. He also thinks that during the 1960s and 1970s the administrators making decisions have been cautious when it comes to different types of technologies.

Cuban believes the other two possibilities are more likely to happen, but that they are very different. Because elementary and secondary schools are very different, the elementary school is more likely to be like the cautious optimist’s scenario and the high school like the preservationist’s scenario. He claims this is because in the elementary school teachers are with their students all day and in the high school teachers are with their students for about fifty minutes a day.

Teachers’ Views of Computers as Catalysts for Changes in Their Teaching Practice

It is extremely important that teachers reflect on their teaching methods and respond by implementing new techniques and technology to improve their teaching. The teachers in this article mostly made changes not because of the technology, but rather other factors that influenced their thinking. For many of the teachers, they made changes because their school implemented new curriculum. Their action was changed through the requirement to change. Other teachers in many cases had already been thinking about constructivist teaching and were given the technology for new teaching strategies. Some teachers consciously chose not to become constructivist teachers.

The fact is teachers use self-reflection to make decisions about their teaching methods and make the changes only when they feel it necessary. It is important for teachers to receive the proper training with technology and its use for making these changes. Then there must be thoughtful reasoning to conclude the changes are necessary. The local influences teachers receive are the main catalyst why teachers change their thinking and teaching methods. As more schools implement new curriculum for teaching methods, many more teachers will use technology to help them with constructivist teaching. This will engage students to take part in their own learning, teachers will become facilitators, and the process of learning will become more individualized to the students they teach.