I had special education students in Maine who benefited from interaction with a computer that removed many of the social barriers and distractions of interacting with a class of students and me as a teacher. Turning basic skills learning into a game created a focused attention for student acquisition of learning skills necessary to advance in a game.

I saw enormous potential with software geared towards basic skills in math and language for students who could concentrate for extended periods of activity using computer educational software as opposed to traditional book and paper exercises. Computers and software was a useful supplementary tool in the classroom.

Between 1995 and 1999 there were new computers (Apple and PCs) and software in each of the three schools I taught. The internet was wired into schools around the country in a massive five year plan to bring computer technology to schools.

Between 2000 and 2009 the schools I have worked in typically have had one computer upgrade in the past decade. Most computers are incapable of running much of the latest software or even loading a website properly. The ability to load software in a classroom is often restricted.

Central administration has taken control of computers in many districts as a liability concern of student safety and technology security. The ability of a classroom teacher to place software on a computer without central office authority is generally restricted (application for new software to the administrative authority of the school district, approval, and then after some time the possibility of getting software installed by an administrative technician.)

Computer labs in the elementary schools of the district my wife works (Santa Clara County, California – the “Silicon Valley”) are dedicated almost exclusively to test taking and test preparation for the annual standardized state tests required by the US “No Child Left Behind” legislation.

Access to the internet is severely restricted. Basic computer skills instruction is absent. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are blocked for teachers and students. Software selections are limited due to the high expense of properly licensing software for a computer room. Money has been tight and extremely limited since the decline in public budgets due to falling state revenues around the US.

The real limitation for public education are computers in the classroom that have not been updated with new hardware or software in 5 years.

There were signs that education in the US would change in 1995 to 1999. The past 10 years have created a divide of children who have wired technology in their homes and lives and those who do not have computer access due to socioeconomic conditions. School is not an equalizer when it comes to computer technology

The schools in California have missed the opportunity to use computers in education as a learning tool and social equalizer. We are focused in the US on teacher and student accountability for reading and math through the expenditure of billions to major publishing corporations for standardized tests. The state has limited funds so schools in large part rely on business/school partnerships for new hardware.

Computer competencies, essential to productivity and engagement in the adult world, have been removed from the educational world of young students and are virtually absent from the elementary classroom and curriculum in California in my experience and observations of public school education over the past ten years. Technology is not a budget priority for children or teachers.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by netcrit: John Daniel Keynote at E-Learn conference, liveblogging here: http://bit.ly/4CTuMP with regular updates. #elearn #elearnconf…