I am a world language teacher in an independent college preparatory Episcopal day school in San Diego. With computer technology being increasingly used in my classroom I have been concerned about whether or not the use of the technology in my classes results in students learning with deep understanding. Bransford pointed out that simply using computer in the classroom does not mean that it has been integrated into the curriculum as an effective tool to support learning. "Technologies do not guarantee effective learning; however, inappropriate use of technology can hinder learning." (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000). The situation that I want to improve is to use technology not just for obtaining information, but for students to gain deep knowledge in a community of practice.

In his Speech, the education theorist, Seymour Papert mentions that the computer is a tool. Papert says that schools can be divided into two wings:

1) those that use technology as an informational medium

2) those that use technology as a constructional medium (doing things, making things, constructing things).

Although I have been using computer technologies in my classroom for a while, I became concerned that students were just using the information they found, but they were not building an understanding of the information. How technology as an effective tool supports student learning language with deep understanding was at the heart of what I wanted to find out. The situation I wanted to improve is to use technology not just for obtaining information, but for students to gain deep knowledge in a community of practice.