Technology in the classroom

Last week, in my Education and Society class, we had a fascinating discussion about the use of technology in the classroom. Precious little research has been done on whether it actually aids learning, but many districts will pour money into it without a second thought, because technology=good. Much of the time it can be more of a distraction than an aid: spending 15 minutes of class time trying to get the overhead projector to work is not increasing active learning time. Not to mention the technology that isn't intended for use in the classroom. High school students are notorious for texting or taking calls during class. I'm sure there's a much longer post about this inside me somewhere, but what I'm getting at is this:

During this wonderful, informative and engaging discussion, my cell phone rang.

I am, apparently, part of the problem.