Tapscott vs Robertson: Technology In Education

As part of an M.A. course I'm taking I've been reading Heather Jane Robertson's No More Teachers, No More Books  and Don Tapscott's Growing Up Digital. They certainly come from opposite perspectives of the role technology is playing in schools.

I have to say, that while Robertson provides a lot of good information and food for thought, the constant negative tone of the book becomes too much to bear at times. By the end, I felt like I'd been hit over the head with ahammer. Perhaps that's the effect she intended, since her arguments are anything but subtle.

On the other hand, I found that Tapscott, while certainly being  somewhat overly optimistic, did attempt at least to present some of the problems associated with integrating techology into schools and classrooms. His research involving youth at the very least provides another dimension to all of the discussion.

Taken together, these books provide a good start towards becoming aware of the complex issues involved with technology in education. While I can't say that either author completely swayed me to their "side", they definitely both left me with a lot to consider, and that's a good thing.