No Access, No Use, No Impact

There is general agreement that computing technologies have not had a significant impact on teaching and learning in K–12 in the U.S., even though billions of dollars have been spent in purchasing, equipping, and supporting the technology. Some critics of school technology use this situation to push their position that technology is not appropriate for children. Others put the failure on the backs of classroom teachers. However, based on the data we collected administering the Snapshot Survey in districts large and small around the country to approximately 4,000 K–12 classroom teachers, the reason that technology has not had an impact on teaching and learning is that students have, for all intents and purposes, not actually used the technology. Furthermore, the reason for this non-use lies not at the feet of the teachers, but rather in the very real lack of access to the technology. Having one computer in the classroom is not access, nor will it lead to significant student use. Frankly, technology can’t have an impact if children have not had the opportunity to access and use the technology.