As a classroom teacher, technology is one of those things... Either you love it and use it all the time OR you could just do without it. Irregardless of your thoughts on technology, it is a big part of our students' daily lives and should be a big part of our instruction and our curriculum frameworks and plans.
With my personal experience as a classroom teacher, I have experienced a school with LOTS of hands-on, accessible technology for students and another school with little to no types of technology. These schools are both in the same school district with the same standards and academic expectations-- yet there is such a gap when it comes to having accessible technology for ALL students.
In the article below, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year (Jahana Hayes) responds in an interview about technology in the classrooms and how we as educators are unable to "keep up" with the constant changes and trends. I have to agree with Hayes, in that our classrooms are not up to date and our teachers are not being trained to adequately keep up with the always changing technologies. As a teacher, I find myself getting excited about new classroom technologies, but my current school does not have the hands on technology much of the instructional practices require to be performed by our students. Hayes is echoing what I feel as a teacher, when she talks about how we are introduced to new technologies but within a year or two they are gone or completely useless. In the amount of time I have to make myself comfortable to teach new technology to a student, they are out of date or something BETTER is out for use.
Our school districts and schools need to make sure they are on the same page when it comes to using technology in the classroom, like iPads, computers, and other educational softwares. We need to be providing teachers with proper training and tools to feel comfortable with these technologies and how to best use them for student success and growth. Our world of technology is ever-changing, and our classrooms and schools need to learn to move with it.
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-02-we-don-t-have-resources-to-keep-up-with-technology-2016-teacher-of-the-year-jahana-hayes-talks-to-edsurge
Hello Kalee,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you are saying about teachers needing training and tools to feel comfortable with all of the new technologies being introduced to them throughout the year. Teachers have been really amazing in that they go and seek and find tech resources that will work best for the particular kids in their classrooms. When the reality hits that the programs will not work with the hardware they currently have access to, or that they do not have an enough machines to support their goals, they become disillusioned and begin feeling negatively about the whole process of technology integration. So many teachers and schools have become amazingly resourceful in reaching out for donations and teaming up with different organizations, but it is definitely not enough to meet the high demand for technology in schools today. I think having instructional technology specialist in the schools that are keeping up with current trends is important, however it is also crucial that the districts themselves have a team of people who are continuously seeking out new technology trends and setting financial goals that will allow districts and schools to be funded the way that is necessary for them to make those goals a reality.
Sam
I love your idea about having the instructional technology specialist for schools! Our ETF does so much with keeping up with maintenance on our equipment that she doesn't have the time to teach us these new softwares and technologies for teachers to use in the classroom! Thank you for your comment! :)
DeleteKalee,
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a large and unfair gap in the amount of technology some schools have compared to others! I worked in a school where we were lucky to have parents that formed a foundation and raised a great deal of money. That money is used to buy, repair, or replace technology in the school. However many schools are not so lucky! Their students have very little access to technology.
I also agree with your point that teachers need to be trained to use technology effectively. We had Smart Boards but had very little training on how to use them. I know we were not using them to their full capabilities. Without proper teacher training, the potential of classroom technology is not going to be fulfilled.
I also agree with your point about technology being a part of our students' daily lives. We can't just ignore that fact! We have to embrace that fact and use it in our instructional methods.
In just the few weeks that school has been back in session, I have been to PLC's designed to help "train" us for using technology and new programs this year. I walk out with more questions than I walk in with... We need more hands-on days for teachers to learn these technology tools. Thank you so much for your post. :)
DeleteKalee,
ReplyDeleteYour post made so many valid points regarding technology in education. Teachers should definitely receive training when they are introduced to new technology. If a teacher is not comfortable using the new piece of technology, they are not going to be able to effectively integrate it into their classroom. I have struggled this year with new technology that was purchased at our school and wish we had been able to attend a training to learn more about the new devices.
I definitely agree that school districts along with schools need to be on the same page regarding technology. Some students will be exposed to various forms of technology at their schools, while other students attend schools that have very basic forms of technology or none at all. I believe the school districts should work with the schools to make sure that all students are being exposed to technology.
Kaitlyn
I couldn't imagine being a parent looking for a specific school district to enroll my chid and to find that the schools within that district are not cohesive. This is something that must come from the top-down... Thank you for you post! :)
DeleteHi Kalee,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and Jahana Hayes that our schools need to conform to new technologies and use school funds to keep school computers and programs updated so our students can learn to supply the demands of our world, the Age of Big Data. Teachers need to be provided the appropriate training on how to use different technologies. It shouldn’t be a sink or swim situation like it is in most instances. If teachers are not properly trained, they will not be able to use the technology to their fullest potential. It will just be another thing to do on their check off list.
It is amazing how technology is forever changing. Once we have learned a specific program, and the students finally feel comfortable navigating through the program, schools change to a different program because the current program was not up to part with standards, not effective, or outdated. Too much change at once and in a short period of time isn’t effective. In my school last year, we used Imagine Learning for our ELL students. This year, they got rid of that program and are now switching to another program because they claimed it was not challenging enough for the students.
I think times are moving too fast. We are trying to keep up with technology so we are in the loop of things and can say that we have tried what was out there. We are trying to create people who are technology literate into technology savy individuals over night. This is just impossible!
Joanndeliz Cubero
Times are moving way too fast, and we are forever connecting the bridge between educational technology and the instructional technology for teachers. Thank you for your post! :)
Delete