iEducation: Tradition and Technology in the Classroom

The constant call on college campuses is to upgrade classrooms. Why? Because technology has to be state of the art, or, it would seem, education is not.

            Across the aisle, proponents of rickety overhead projectors protest that technology in the classroom should be minimal. History is the past; our analyses require skills of reading and writing. Why do we need to think about contemporary technology in the classroom?

            I propose a compromise: While we need to maintain our focus on the core skills of reading and writing, we also need to investigate ways in which the latest trends in technology (including social media) can be used creatively to stimulate class discussion and analysis. From using the Web to kick off discussion of current events, to teaching students to access archives online, to using Twitter as a teaching tool, I will discuss the ways in which creative uses of technology can be used to teach critical thinking skills.