Digital Fix - Part II "Hammer Time"

Hammer Time
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
Abraham Maslow

A friend once told me “I knew you were in over your head when you asked for a hammer but the project didn’t require any nails!” Unfortunately, a hammer is all I am comfortable using and therefore I often pound things whether they need it or not. Likewise, I fear teachers are hammering information into their students by swinging the cutting edge of technology which school districts provide to enhance the educational process. PowerPoint™ presentations, electronic grade tracking, and email are certainly effective ways to communicate and streamline administrative functions. However, transformative academic achievement gains will not be realized until teachers diversify their skill sets and instructional methodologies. This will occur when sufficient training has been provided for teachers to understand the full complement of hardware in their educational toolbox.