Yesterday, I visited the local chain bookstore to enjoy a cup of coffee and reserve a copy of John Gierach’s new book, A Fool’s Paradise. As I was browsing through the store I was struck by the number of books written about basic end user instructions for computers (Windows, Mac, and Linux). This led me to thinking about what is important when selecting technology to use as a teaching tool. When I’m selecting technology to use with students there are two things I ask myself, how long will it take to get an entire class using the technology? And will the students benefit from having been introduced to this technology? If I cannot get an entire class using a new technology in one meeting then that technology probably isn’t appropriate for that class. Likewise if the technology I’m thinking of introducing doesn’t help students learn the content then it’s probably not appropriate for that class.

As Christopher Dawson pointed out today in My Kid Hates Linux, “He, like most other users, just wants the computer that works.” If the end user needs a book to figure out the technology that’s supposed to help him or her, how useful is that technology and how likely are they to try it again?