Canadian Social Studies - Special Issue - History Alive! Old Sources, New Technologies

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by SANS

The dreams and predictions of a digital social studies classroom never fully materialized. Teachers kept technology at the edge of instruction for reasons including the character of early courseware, its tendency to be advanced for technology’s sake, and its imposition on teachers. Digital tools also weakened classroom continuity—computer failures removed the teachable moment and made teachers feel incompetent, while the resulting pedagogical impact remained limited. Barriers include unsuitable software, insufficient support and hardware, and a missing philosophical and pedagogical framework for effective use.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Special Issue: History Alive! Old Sources, New Technologies

Why Digital Technologies Did Not Change the Social Study's Classroom

Barriers to Adoption

Overly Promoted Hardware and Marketing Hype

Ontario’s Digital Learning Environment (ICON)

CANADIAN SOCIAL STUDIES VOLUME 40 NUMBER 1, Summer 2006 [www.quasar.ualberta.ca/css](www.quasar.ualberta.ca/css) Special Issue: History Alive! Old Sources, New Technologies "Power corrupts, PowerPoint corrupts absolutely"Why Digital Technologies Did Not Change the Social Study's Classroom. 1 Michael Clare Retired teacher Return to Articles Abstract The dreams and predictions of a digital classroom never quite materialized in the social studies history area. For a variety of reasons teachers keep the technology just outside the door peeking in but never truly welcomed. Not welcomed because of the nature of courseware initially offered, not welcomed because the technology was advanced for the sake of technology itself and was imposed on the teacher. For teachers to invite digital technology in attention should be on the curriculum, the teacher's delivery of curriculum and how the technology can assist and advance deeper understandings. Nothing seems to enhance that feeling of inadequacy than having the computer crash in the middle of a presentation. Worse still, you cannot troubleshoot. Technology has rendered you helpless. Digital technology has robbed the teachable moment, usurped your role as a competent, in charge teacher. The lesson has been compromised, maybe to the point of being corrupted; your confidence shaken, and your faith in digital technology has been seriously put to the test. Are various aspects of digital technologies in a history or social science classroom corrupting good teaching? With valid reasons, given their experiences ofthe past twenty five years, some teachers would say yes. They see parts of digital education as a sham. If Ned Lud were alive today, he would be appalled by the inroads digital technology is making into the classroom; he would weep. Should Ned praise history and social science teachers or repudiate them for their reactions? Is it O.K. to be a Luddite? Yes, but at your own peril as there is areal danger that you and the traditional classroom will be left behind. As a result of advancesin digital technologies both students and the greater community already see certain aspects of the traditional school as out of date, out of touch. Teachers have not had the full opportunity to sit back and reflect on an appropriate response or devise an adequate pedagogical style. Education via digital technologies can be a powerful tool but digital pedagogies have not sparked the collective imagination of teachers in the same way other teaching methods and media have. The impact of digital technologies on teaching and learning has been minimal. (Sandholtz, 2004) Social Science teachers are not wilfully blocking digital technology and might even embrace the technology if they only knew how. What is stopping teachers is a lack of appropriate software, support, and hardware coupled with a philosophical and pedagogical framework for use of the technology in the first place. Examples of moving digital technologies beyond an electronic transfer of pen and paper are only now emerging. Teachers see the case for digital technology as a learning tool is powerful, but there are too many barriers in the way for classroom teachers to utilize digital technology with the same ease they might use videos and text books. This has to change and that change is coming. The advanced billings for computers in the classroom have not lived up to all the fanfare. For the past two decades digital hardware was oversold to schools and has been under used (Cuban, 2001) . The technology was marketed, especially in the States, as a solution to the"crisis in the classroom." Such hype was generated that school councils were seduced into thinking that if our school does not have the latest hardware our kids will be left behind in a highly competitive global marketplace. Technology was looked upon as a salvation to problems yet imagined. Children will be left behind if they are not engaged with the latest electro

FAQs

Why didn’t digital technologies fully transform social studies classrooms?

Teachers found early courseware unwelcome due to its design and delivery approach, and the wider pedagogical impact proved limited.

How do technology failures affect teaching during presentations?

A computer crash removes the teachable moment and leaves teachers without troubleshooting options, undermining confidence in digital technology.

What factors stop teachers from using digital technology effectively?

Teachers cite lack of appropriate software, inadequate support and hardware, and the absence of a clear philosophical and pedagogical framework for use.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by SANS