www4teachers readers tell Dr. Chaffin what they think!   Dr. Chaffin responds to readers' answers to the question: What do teachers need to know about computers and electronic media?   By Dr. Jerry Chaffin SCR*TEC

hat do teachers really need to know about computers and electronic media? In the last issue, I voiced my opinion on the subject and then asked readers to share their opinions. The response was considerable, enthusiastic, and quite thoughtful. I first asked what the readers of www4teachers thought teachers needed to know about computers. The results in table 1 indicate that from nearly 200 suggestions, 60 percent of the responses fell into two major categories: basic computer literacy and applications skills; and communication and Internet skills. Curiously, less than 6.5 percent mentioned that curriculum integration was an essential skill for teachers. Understand that this is not a scientifically valid set of responses, so let us NOT assume that teachers don't feel curriculum integration is important. Perhaps respondents assumed that curriculum integration was a given, a non-issue, if you please.

Table 1: What teachers should know about computers and electronic media Category and explanation Percent BASIC COMPUTER LITERACY AND USE OF APPLICATIONS: Familiarity with operating system, general operation, how to do simple trouble-shooting and fix what's broken. Using word processors, databases, spreadsheets, gradebooks, etc. 35.11 COMMUNCATION AND INTERNET SKILLS: Helping students use communication tools to communicate with others, locally and around the world, for information and research projects, including the use of listservs, FTP, etc. Net skills, such as browsing and searching the Web as a part of researching classroom assignments. 25.00 VISION, CONFIDENCE, AND OPENNESS TO CHANGE: Sense of exploration and willingness to try new technology even if you don't understand it. Desire, risk-taking, awareness of potential, ability to deal with ambiguity, and an inquisitive and creative mind. 9.04 CURRICULUM INTEGRATION: Ability to naturally and relevantly integrate computer and Internet use into curriculum and to make the computer a resource for students in classroom and in real-world problem-solving. 6.38 PRESENTATION: Using computers for multimedia presentation of student assignments. 6.38 PROPERLY USING HELP FROM TECHIE: The skill to make appropriate use of the technical resources available to you. 3.19 LEARNING WITH YOUR STUDENTS 2.13 CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT: Organizing classroom to get most benefits from computers, whether one or many, and developing procedures for civilized use. 2.13 NONE: Need no computer or Internet skills. 1.06 OTHER: Many things I could not classify, from patience and stubbornness to being knowledgeable about theories of education, such as constructivism. 12.23

fter reading or listening to my opinion about what teachers should know about computers and electronic media, I then asked readers if they agreed or disagreed with my opinion, and why or why not. Again, the response was overwhelmingly well-thought-out and enthusiastic, regardless of whether respondents agreed.

Figure 1: Response was varied, but a majority did agree overall with Dr. Chaffin.

or example, one reader responded, "Dr. C is leaving left field for the parking lot when he says teachers don't need to know computers. I submit that any teacher who would admit to her class that she is not computer literate should be as ashamed as a teacher who confessed he couldn't read." The reader continued, "I teach my students that computers are like cars, credit cards, and telephones--you don't have to like them, but to participate fully in our world, you need to be able to use them."        "I agree with Dr. Chaffin to some extent," wrote another reader, "but truly, when is the last time he was in a classroom? (For more than just a supervising visit.)" OUCH!--but accurate, unfortunately. "To make a statement that teachers are the only ones who get frustrated is ignorant. Students get VERY frustrated, even by a printer that has gone awry, especially if they have a paper due! I have seen some pretty anxiety-ridden students over something that basic."

ost respondents, however, agreed with the general thesis that teachers don't need to know everything about computers and electronic media (see figure 1). A large and representative sample of your responses is available online.

Do you have other observations on the subject? Let's continue the discussion, and this time your responses will be immmediately visible to other readers, so an interactive and ongoing dialogue will be possible.

KeyNotes presents the views of leaders in educational technology. Copyright. © 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 ALTec, the University of Kansas