Using Technology Wisely

Last month, U.S. Pres. Barack Obama announced a proposal for $90 million in funding for the creation of a new grant competition called the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Education (ARPA-ED). Rafi Holzman, CEO of Luidia, Inc., has some stern warnings and recommendations.

He does not believe that software or a big screen will replace, or is an acceptable replacement for, a teacher. Holzman’s positions:

>> Technology will not necessarily make the teacher better.

>> The most important technologies are those that support teachers, and not those that seek to replace them.

“It’s about what is best for students,” Holzman says, “and I believe [that] using resources, all resources, wisely and effectively is one part of that.”

Holzman recommends we:

>> analyze what technologies are truly effective tools for the teacher;

>> spend the least money on major overhauls and try instead to incorporate technology fluidly into the educational system; and

>> don’t reinvent the wheel, but call on companies to help the government create an effective system of classroom technology.

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