Howard Gardner

About the author: Howard Gardner is a professor of cognition and education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Schools are traditionally resistant to change, but they cannot ignore the ways in which computer technology is transforming society. Computer-assisted education will allow schools to design curricula that are individualized to each student. Outside the classroom, the easy availability of information on the Internet will increase individuals' ability to educate themselves and become lifelong learners. Finally, computer-enhanced education will be part of a larger transformation of education, which could include medical innovations that will enhance learning.

Technology has revolutionized the world in which schools operate. Now it's time for educators to catch up to change.

A human being miraculously transported from 1900 to our time would recognize much of what goes on in today's classrooms—the prevalent...