As a teacher, I have a love-hate relationship with technology. I love that I can post student grades online. I hate that many of my students lack home computers to access those grades. I love that my students can use the Internet to conduct research. I hate that many of them instead use the Internet to commit plagiarism. Depending upon its use, technology has the potential to either be a great educational equalizer or yet another symbol of the divide between our richest and our poorest students. It can be either a valuable educational tool or a crutch for both teachers and students.
Distance learning technology allows students to enroll in classes and even earn entire degrees without setting foot in a brick-and-mortar building. For instance, here in Muskingum County, high school students are taking courses in Chinese from teachers miles away. They are doing so without the expense of adding another full-time teacher, saving taxpayers' money and providing language skills that will help students succeed in a global economy. At Zane State, students are able to use distance-learning technology to complete bachelor's degrees at other colleges.