When it comes to maintaining the status quo and resisting progress, education is the master - still seemingly frozen in place like a museum diorama, still entrenched in the 1900s-style classroom. Any movement forward is teeny-tiny in step and super-slow in motion. In reacting to that, I’ve made some arrogant assumptions, blaming teachers for their ostrich-like avoidance and accusing administrators of blocking progress.
It’s time to question myself honestly and stop playing the blame game.
My job involves helping teachers and administrators incorporate technology in education - not because so many cool tools are available, but because of the enhancement and rigor these tools can add to instruction and professional development. Frustrated by the avoidance and resistance I often encounter, I wondered if the reasons I had heard for not using technology were valid, or whether teachers were just plain stubborn. I also wondered if these reticent reactions were common.
I steeled myself for the possibility that my frustration is misplaced. Perhaps teachers are not “avoiding technology.” Maybe they’re captives of an entangled, entrenched system in which progress faces complex obstacles and experimentation leads to complicated and insidious consequences.
And it could be that technology isn’t lovingly embraced as the panacea I push it to be because good teaching doesn’t rely on software and hardware; it’s human and relies on relationships. Technology offers a powerful tool, but it must be in the proper hands to be used effectively.
So I bit down hard on the proverbial bullet and posed the difficult question: Are these really just lazy excuses or are they viable reasons?
To gather a wider view, I posted a survey in July, asking educators which reasons they had heard (or used themselves) for not using technology in the classroom.
I suggested 12 possible reasons, based on my own experience.
One interesting result from the survey: Participants had heard every one of the 12 reasons at some time, and even added new reasons that were not on my list.
Seems that technology integration in the classroom is running up against predictable obstacles.
The statistics revealed that the most crushing restraint teachers feel is their lack of time. This is no suprise - time is a hugely precious commodity in the world of teaching. The 50 respondents evoked a near-tie between two answers to the question, “Which reason have you heard the most?” (They were allowed to choose only one answer).
I don’t have the planning or class time to set everything up and get the students going.
This response was followed closely by another time-related answer:
My curriculum is overloaded. I have too much to teach and I can’t add one more thing.
For more about the survey, including extra answers and comments from respondents, please view the video below (approx. 6 minutes). I would be interested in your thoughts and comments about the responses and the questions they raise.
Along with reminding myself that technology is not always the best choice for a lesson, and that it works best in the classroom as a tool and not a magic wand or a toy, I’m asking myself a new question, Are we being supportive enough?
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Posted on August 16th, 2008 by Sharon Elin
Filed under: Uncategorized
Sharon,
Very thoughtful post and unfortunately something I deal with in my district as well. These last two weeks, as teachers return to school we’ve been conducting lots of tech integration staff development. These are the comments we are hearing in the discussions and you know what? They are right! Mostly about the time issue and the barriers. I was hoping as I read further into your post you were going to provide the answers.
It’s very frustrating but all good efforts meet road blocks. If we are passionate about what we do, perhaps we’ll touch a few. Just yesterday I received a lovely email from one of the teachers in my training. She told me how I inspired her to stay up until 2am working on a project that she otherwise would have given up on. She felt confident suddenly because I told her that although my title is tech prog specialist, I have no formal training in technology. My background is in elementary education.
I think I might have found an “in” there.
Thank you for posting the results. Very interesting indeed, but not surprising.
The runner-up reason is something to ponder: “My curriculum is overloaded. I have too much to teach and I can’t add one more thing.”
If technology is taught as an add-on, this reason could be very valid for most teachers. In our country the curriculum is also overloaded and few teachers can get through it adequately., But if technology is viewd as an add-in, as a medium to deliver curriculum, nothing is added - the technology is merely used as a tool to add variety and to provide an enhanced learning experience.
This is an important topic to explore - I think I will blog about it sometime soon!
Kobus & Lee, thank you for your comments. You bring up important considerations.
Lee, I’m so glad you connected with a teacher by letting her know that you were a teacher before you became a technology integrator. Supporting teachers as they try to use technology works best when we put teaching first and we don’t come across as just “tech people.” In our district, all of the technology integrators were chosen because they were not only licensed but experienced, highly qualified teachers, recognized for their best practices. We know the content and we know the world of teaching, which makes that connection more plugged in when we try to relate to teachers and what they might need for their curriculum.
Kobus, the secret to technology integration in my opinion is just what you are saying - it must be infused into the classroom and built around an academic content-based curriculum. It also must be included as a networking medium and learning community for self-directed learning. If it is taught as a separate, stand-alone course or curriculum, it loses authenticity and relevance. It’s similar to learning how to drive. You can teach driving in a simulator or in books, but until a driver uses his skills out in the real world, he’ll never learn all the nuances and tricks and responses that make him an efficient driver.