Summary:
In the article the author explores ways that technology can
be helpful in the classroom and why it is needed. The author explains that three out of four
teachers and 3 out of four administrators believe that technology positively
impacts the education process as well as job recruitment. Young teachers basically expect to work with
technology when they get a job. Another
statistic the author shares is that nine out of ten students think technology
use in the classroom will help them get jobs at some point. Classroom experiences will change from
listening to lectures to learning interactively.
The author also points out that most people think of the
tablet, particularly the iPad when they think about technology in the
classroom. The tablet however “is only
the tip of the iceberg.” There are many
cloud services, classroom management software, online curriculum, game-based
learning software, and wireless network infrastructure to tie everything
together.
Because of all those components to technology in the
classroom, it’s not always easy to adopt.
An example is the fiasco that happened with the Los Angeles Unified
School District (LAUSD). They spent $1.3
billion in an effort to put an iPad in the hands of every student, teacher, and
administrator. There are rumors that
many of those iPads are sitting unused or being used inappropriately. When a firm was hired to assess the
technology project’s progress, they found that only one teacher out of 245
classrooms was using the Pearson online curriculum. Four out of five high schools were rarely
using the iPads. The author of the
article points out that rushing to get the iPads in everyone’s hands was
ineffective because teachers and students were not trained properly. User training of new devices is biggest
struggle in a large scale technology deployment.
Despite the struggles in LAUSD, there is still much
enthusiasm surrounding bringing new technologies to classrooms. When there is pushback from teachers about
new devices because they aren’t taught how to use them, then it’s not a
technology problem.
Reflection:
An important takeaway from this article was the importance
of training when it comes to technology.
It’s a wonderful idea to have these great tools and resources put into
classrooms, but if the teachers aren’t taught how to use them, they will likely
just sit there. Teachers are busy and
have a lot to do in a day. Learning how
to use new technologies is just “one more thing.” Extending on the author’s thoughts, I think
the way the training is implemented is extremely important. Having one professional development session
where all information is thrown at the teachers would be too overwhelming. I think the PD sessions need to be ongoing
and focus on something different each time.
By working with teachers to implement to implement the new technologies,
I think it is much more likely they will be used more frequently and
effectively.
This is
definitely an issue in our own district.
We have not implemented a 1:1 program yet, however we do have different
technology projects happening.
Classrooms were given Chromebooks, iPads, and Mimio devices. When I received my Chromebooks, someone sat
down with me one time at the very beginning and showed me a few minor things
that could be done. I’ve had to take the
time to find what they can do myself.
Because of this, I know I could be doing more. I have been told that the other Chromebook
carts at other schools are not used nearly as much as mine. There are days that they aren’t used at
all. That is also true of the Mimio
Votes that were piloted. Teachers aren’t
confident in how to use them, so they just don’t. They sit on shelves, collecting dust. I think this is very unfortunate considering
how much money went into purchasing them.
As we continue to implement technology, I hope that we will have
additional support and trainings.
Kaneshige, T. (2015, March 6). Can Tech Help Teachers Teach and Students Learn? Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/2893749/tablets/can-tech-help-teachers-teach-and-students-learn.html
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