A lot of reporters focus on an imagined future: what will or could happen to students if a technology is adopted or when a school system makes a big bet on a digitally-dependent instructional approach (like ‘personalized’ or ‘blended’ learning, or tablets, or virtual reality, or digital textbooks, or online classes, or computer-based testing, or video games, etc., etc.). While it’s in the nature of writing about technology to be future focused, there are stories to be had in the everyday experiences of teachers and students along the way. This is especially true given how quickly technological fads sweep in and out of schools (remember how excited we were by interactive whiteboards?). Pay extra special attention to the differences in opportunities and experiences among low-income, minority students, and rural students. And, please, don’t fall for the marketing-speak about ‘disruptive,’ ‘transformative,’ ’21st century’ practices. Make your interviewees explain what they mean in plain English.
It is true that technology helps to increase the productivity of ours but education is not just about gaining raw knowledge but being in a group of diverse people and mix around. Learning soft skills is as much important as learning from the structured textbooks.