Experts Question Value Of Classroom Technology

The New York Times (9/4, Richtel, Subscription Publication) profiles a Chandler, Arizona, school with a "technology-centric classroom," noting that the "class, and the Kyrene School District as a whole, offer what some see as a utopian vision of education's future. Classrooms are decked out with laptops, big interactive screens and software that drills students on every basic subject." However, despite strong enthusiasm, "since 2005, scores in reading and math have stagnated in Kyrene, even as statewide scores have risen." The Times paints this district as a thumbnail of observations from education experts that "schools are spending billions on technology, even as they cut budgets and lay off teachers, with little proof that this approach is improving basic learning."