Melissa Lodhi says:
In many cases, I have found the educators to be much more open to the integration of technology than the administrators. Many are not sure where to begin and the thought of trying to figure it all out is overwhelming on an already stretched timeframe. Dealing with technology requires a person that is a creative thinker and problem solver. As we have seen in the past, there are often glitches and the best laid plans fall in ruins as the system crashes, student access numbers don’t work, and the site you planned to use is suddenly bluecoated.
One of the most valuable ways to help educators through the trepidation is to teach them how to adapt to new platforms and where to go for help and tutorials. Dealing with endless trainings on platforms that are extinct before they are mastered is frustrating for educators. If the technology integration does not stress their already limited time resources and can be adapted to meet individual needs, it will be more effective.
Britni Hendrickson says:
Melissa,
I think that this is where a strong IT department comes into play. I personally feel like the department at my school is overworked due to not having enough staff. It is almost like you have to reserve them to come in to answer questions/fix problems/host training. I also think it takes a special person to be in the IT department due to the rapid rate change of technology each individual has to stay current and yet be trained for the past. On a side note, I personally LOVE the lynda.com tutorials, I have learned so much from them. I think this has been even more valuable than the technology department at my school, at least when it comes to programs on my MAC.
I think that this is where a strong IT department comes into play. I personally feel like the department at my school is overworked due to not having enough staff. It is almost like you have to reserve them to come in to answer questions/fix problems/host training. I also think it takes a special person to be in the IT department due to the rapid rate change of technology each individual has to stay current and yet be trained for the past. On a side note, I personally LOVE the lynda.com tutorials, I have learned so much from them. I think this has been even more valuable than the technology department at my school, at least when it comes to programs on my MAC.
Andrea Nichols says:
Our district’s IT department is severely understaffed and overworked. It is hard to imagine integrating anything new into my school when much of the old stuff is broken!
Kathy Toth says:
I hear you, Andrea. This year we have had seven IT people available to cover the problems of 90 schools, who complained that their problems weren’t fixed the day they were submitted.
Angela Alipour says:
Melissa,
I think what happens to those teachers that do not embrace technology so quickly is that they are either the type of person who does not accept change or they just think they do not have enough time to integrate something new into their lesson. My action research project is based on integrating technology into the curriculum. I found that many of the teachers were willing to learn but all they kept on thinking about was when they were going to implement, they can’t do any of it before FCAT, and that it will take too long for their students to learn how to use the technology they plan on implementing. The last excuse was a shocker to me. Especially when all students have been exposed to technology tools in one way or another.
I think what happens to those teachers that do not embrace technology so quickly is that they are either the type of person who does not accept change or they just think they do not have enough time to integrate something new into their lesson. My action research project is based on integrating technology into the curriculum. I found that many of the teachers were willing to learn but all they kept on thinking about was when they were going to implement, they can’t do any of it before FCAT, and that it will take too long for their students to learn how to use the technology they plan on implementing. The last excuse was a shocker to me. Especially when all students have been exposed to technology tools in one way or another.
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