My experience as the gal on campus who leads technology and professional development is most teachers do not authentically integrate technology. By authentic, I mean technology becomes invisible. Computers are tools like a pen and paper. Whenever the task would be made more effective or efficient with technology, with the RIGHT technology, it is. Philosophically, the classes are student-centered, not teacher-centered, (again, when appropriate), and projects are frequent.
Many teachers who do use technology are caught in one type of technology. My experience in schools is perhaps only a quarter of the teachers use all three kinds of technology:
If you were a parent, would you want to keep your fingers crossed that your child was in a class whose teacher uses technology? As a nation, don't we want ALL students technology literate?
There are award-winning schools in the nation where every teacher on campus integrates technology appropriately. What can we learn from these schools?
Hence, the (current) focus of my doctoral research:
"What administrative policies and practices affect classroom technology integration?"
Levin and Schrum (2013) researched 12 technology award-winning schools (ISTE, Apple awards, etc), and found these common factors which need to be implemented simultaneously. The researchers and administrators suggest that failure to develop even one of these factors impacts the entire system and universal integration is less likely.
- a
clearly stated vision cross-checked with all school initiatives,
- distributed
leadership,
- a school culture consisting of an expectation to trying new
technology and an acceptance of trial and error,
- a technology implementation
plan and technical support,
- professional development,
- teacher-developed
technology-instruction infused into the existing curriculum,
- funding from
creative sources, and
- partnerships with families, local businesses, and
higher education institutions
Think of your high school. While as a student you may not know all the behind-the-scenes policies that made your school tick, you how often you used technology and for what purpose.
Post a comment about your experiences in high school with the three kinds of technology and possibly what you know about the administrative system.
Levin,
B. B., & Schrum, L. (2013). Using systems thinking to leverage technology
for school improvement: lessons learned from award-winning secondary
schools/districts. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 46(1),
29-54. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA349903220&v=2.1&u=tall85761&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w&asid=bb584ca3411e36808325d72455e28274
