Application Questions:
The concept of a one-to-one computer availability in the classroom,
along with 24/7 internet access, would seem like an amazing resource for
classroom use. However, as shown in this
application question, not all teachers would agree. From past experience, there are 3 major
factors that affect the likelihood of such programs succeeding (and I was pleasantly
surprised to see them listed in Chapter 3 of our textbook).
The major factors include:
1) Most teachers can be resistant
to change. Unfortunately, in our
world, there is constant change. While
most of the time these changes are smaller in nature, and easier to handle, the
minute large changes such as everything all of the sudden being online, can
cause massive wide-spread panic. As a
result, many teachers find themselves resistant to changing their
routines. They aren’t as comfortable as
what they have done in the past, and when combined with all the other little
changes that happen each year, it’s easier to resist the big changes looming in
their face. For example, in the past 8
years I have taught (in order) 3 yrs of fifth grade, 1 year of fourth, 1 year
of third, moved to another state which means all new curriculum, taught 1 year
of third, 1 year of fourth, and now a third/fourth grade combination
classroom. That makes for 8yrs of having
to learn a new curriculum each year, along with everything else required. So while I’m a very tech savvy teacher,
someone who isn’t as tech savvy might find it easier to resist that change in
favor of mastering the basics of the curriculum and their classroom.
2) Another factor that affects teachers is the top-down changes that occur in
districts. While school boards, superintendents,
and other administrators think and feel that they are making choices that
positively affect classrooms, sometimes they fail to consider the teachers
opinions and thoughts. Top-down changes
are rarely welcomed in schools, as there is a major disconnect between the board
office and the classroom. It creates an
automatic negative attitude towards changes, which is hard to overcome.
3) The final factor that can affect the program is the failure to provide teachers with
adequate guidance as to how to integrate the new media into their instruction
practices. Unfortunately in
today’s society not everyone is as comfortable with technology as they should
be. Handing a teacher a computer,
software, and programs they have never used before can be overwhelming and
confusing. And as any human being, the
logical next step is to set it on a shelf and ignore it for as long as
possible. Having all this technology and
resources at your fingertips is fantastic.
However, if you fail to understand how to use it, all you’ve done is
given a teacher a very expensive door-stop or paperweight.
In searching for ways to mitigate such negative outcomes of
technology programs, there are two suggestions I would give:
1) Include teachers in the decision making process. Start out small, with a core group of educators
who are respected in their district and have a grasp of technology use in the
classroom. These educators can help make
decisions on purchases, programs to use, ways to integrate, staff trainings,
etc. The major plus of having a core
group of teachers become the leaders of the program: they become the “cheerleaders”
for the district. They become the voices
that share how great the program is, how well it can be used, and the most
important “if I can do it, you can do it” challenge.
2) Provide staff training on a consistent basis throughout the
year. Most districts provide an initial
training that gives an overview and the basics.
However, they fail to provide a consistent amount of planning and
training throughout the year. It is
essential that teachers have a chance to communicate their thoughts, concerns,
and issues. All while having a chance to
share with their peers the good and bad aspects of the programs. Teachers feed off each other, so the ability
to share how it is being used in classrooms helps to brainstorm other effected
uses that teachers can immediately take back and use the next day.
Great post! I completely agree that training is an important part of the process. I love your idea of having continuous training opportunities throughout the year. This way the technology can be assessed throughout the year and any questions that arise can be addressed.
ReplyDeleteErica, Cassie also mentioned the need to get teachers involved in the decision-making process for new technology. That would seem to be a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how often IT just does what it wants to without any interaction with the people who will be affected by their choices.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with one-shot professional development days is that too much information is given in too short of a time period. When introducing new technology, there has to be multiple workshops that help step the teacher through the training and be grounded in why the technology is good and ways that it can be used in their teaching. Too many times it's just the click here and do that type of training.