“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

I cannot help but think about historian George Santayana’s comment with something of a smirk on my face as I review the recent educational technology literature. Once again, the pundits have fallen in love with a new technology, proclaiming that it will lead the way in a new technological, no, make that educational, revolution.

This time, the cause of all the excitement is the netbook computer. While I believe this device will have an impact on education, I wonder, haven’t we experienced all this hyperbole before, only to be less than thrilled with the results?

In the 1920s and '30s, some people predicted that educational films would dramatically improve education. The mixture of the visual and auditory components would lead youngsters to places never before imagined, thereby greatly improving the overall educational experience. Yes, educational films became a standard component of curriculum materials, but have they revolutionized education? Hardly!

Then came the “video” revolution that, in some ways, is still in progress. In addition to the attributes of educational film, it allowed teachers and students to produce their own programs, thus enhancing creativity and communication skills. Once again, this technology was going to change education. As with educational film, in spite of having some positive impact, video did not, and has not, had a transformative effect.
   
It has been more than 25 years, a quarter of a century, since microcomputers first appeared in the schools. During this time, wave upon wave of advocates and associated sponsors have referred to this technology variously as “tomorrow’s technology,” or “the tools of tomorrow.” 

What is the status, then of these tools in our schools? First, it must be said they have made a significant impact in education. You can barely find a classroom, let alone a school, that does not contain a microcomputer.

We expect our children to have skills working with microcomputer technology and often judge our schools on the quantity and quality of this technology. This investment in technology has certainly helped create a generation of technology savvy youngsters who feel comfortable working with digital technology. 

But after a quarter of a century, a difficult question needs to be asked: have microcomputers and associated communication technology, with the exceptions of isolated islands of excellence, really met the promise of revolutionizing our schools and educational system? At a most fundamental level, are our students significantly better at reading, writing, or mathematics now than they were 25 years ago?
   
Then what is an educational technologist to learn from Santayana’s remark? I believe that educational technologists have too often not looked back at other technological innovations that generated excitement in their time. As a result, too frequently and too easily, educational technologists have let their excitement cloud their better judgment, allowing statements laden with hyperbole to slip over their tongues and through their lips. Consequently, too many people continue to relegate educational technologists to the periphery of the irrelevant.

So if you want to be taken seriously, you can be excited about new developments in technology, but never lose sight of the fact that technology is simply one component of an extremely complex enterprise.