My son attends Lakeview Elementary just down the road. It is part of the Lake Washington School District which prides itself on the use of technology in the classroom.
Over the last two years I have volunteered numerous hours in the classroom and never seen one of his teachers using the technology that they have at their fingertips, except for the microphone.
Even as the art docent I have used the Interactive Board and the Document Camera. It is my question, who are they not using these tools? I asked my son if his teachers used them, pointed directly to them and described what they did, he hesitated for a while and then said sometimes. This says to me, that they don't use it very much if at all - otherwise he would have known what I was talking about.
According to their website (http://www.lwsd.org/Parents/Teaching-Curriculum/Pages/Classroom-Technology.aspx) all of the teachers have access to multiple modes of technology within each individual classroom.
With the well documented benefits of technology in the classroom (http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/06/28/teachers-report-educational-benefits-of-frequent-technology-use.aspx) how can we get the "older" teachers to get on board and feel comfortable with it?
Over the last two years I have volunteered numerous hours in the classroom and never seen one of his teachers using the technology that they have at their fingertips, except for the microphone.
Even as the art docent I have used the Interactive Board and the Document Camera. It is my question, who are they not using these tools? I asked my son if his teachers used them, pointed directly to them and described what they did, he hesitated for a while and then said sometimes. This says to me, that they don't use it very much if at all - otherwise he would have known what I was talking about.
According to their website (http://www.lwsd.org/Parents/Teaching-Curriculum/Pages/Classroom-Technology.aspx) all of the teachers have access to multiple modes of technology within each individual classroom.
With the well documented benefits of technology in the classroom (http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/06/28/teachers-report-educational-benefits-of-frequent-technology-use.aspx) how can we get the "older" teachers to get on board and feel comfortable with it?
Jodee, I'm sad to say that you are correct for most teachers. Even though the tech is available, many teachers are nervous or just overwhelmed with how to use it all. With the increasing demands on teachers to use technology, teach to standards, increase student achievement and the ever falling budget, it is just too much for some teachers to invest in learning another skill. Also, some teachers still do not believe in the benefits of using technology with students and don't see that it will help kids in their future. I know that may sound crazy, but remember that even though our world has changed dramatically in the last few years, some people still don't see the change in their own lives.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the important reflection!
Mrs. Adair