Michael C. Warren

As a former Information Technology manager I know the advantages of knowing how to use technology in a workplace. This is also true with education. If the staff do not know how to use technology or are at least technologically literate then integrating technology into a classroom lesson.  From what I have seen in my four years of teaching it is usually the older individuals who have a set routine on how they teach who do not wish to integrate technology into their lesson, or at least find it difficult. Younger teachers are often eager to integrate technology into their lessons, if not make it a primary part of the learning process.

Studies tell us that while many teachers may be proficient in the use of technology, often using for daily tasks such as attendance and communications, there are a much lower number of teachers who integrate technology into their daily lessons.  While teaching itself is often difficult with preparing content, instructional materials, managing classroom and much more, it can be difficult to integrate technology into the lesson. I believe it is also difficult because many teachers may have an established process that is repeated year after year and to begin to switch to a method including technology will interrupt and slow down the process that is already in place. In essence change may be disliked. Those who do like to integrate technology into their lessons face a number of problems.  “In the planning process, teachers must also consider how students will acquire technical skills needed to complete learning tasks” (Redish and Williamson, 2009).  While many students may understand the technology to do the work, there are those that still need to be taught the technical instruction.  This is an additional set of instruction that normally the teacher would not have to do.  With the implementation of introducing a website that the teachers use as a teaching utility to provide what is going on during the week in the classroom, many teachers have been hesitant, or chose not to find the time to update their own pages.  Even with ample training sessions and one on one help being offered if was not quickly adopted as a teaching tool. “Teachers often feel uncomfortable using computers and are unaware of the teaching and learning pedagogies that computers and the Internet are able to support” (Mouza, 2003).  However I was just as guilty at times at not providing information on the website because it was difficult getting time in to implement the extra steps on top of developing the lessons, and working through everything else in the day.

With the use of technology, teachers must move away from conventional instruction that is teacher-led to a new method of instruction where students explore and teachers help facilitate the learning.  I think this is imperative in order for students to think on a higher level. In many ways students do this more outside the classroom while playing video games than they do in traditional learning, primarily because these students “represent the first generations to grow up with this new technology” (Prensky, 2001).  I myself have seen that if I give students a problem to solve they are much more focused than if I teach them in a lecture format.

I think it will be important to spend dedicated time with teachers in order to help them integrate technology into their lessons. It is more than having the teacher use technology to teach, it is providing a way for students to use technology to learn. To help them explore and return learn a skill.  I think when I look forward to helping a teacher develop a lesson integrating technology, the first thing I will ask myself as well as the teacher is “how will this help the student learn” instead of “how will this help you teach”.

References

Mouza, C. (2003). Learning to Teach with New Technology: Implications for Professional Development. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(2), 272-289.

Prensky, Marc (2001).  Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part I.   On the Horizon: The Strategic Planning Resource for Education Professionals, 9(5), 1-6.

Redish, T., & Williamson, J. (2009). ISTE’s Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able to Do. Eugene,OR: International Society for Technology in Education.