The power of technology in the classroom can be very
positive and exciting for the teacher and student in the classroom.
Technological products potential is to revolutionize areas of teaching and
learning but, not overthrow the methods of teaching.
However, technology can have barriers that play a
great role in learning such as fewer computers in the classroom, less I.T.
Support and the knowledge of computers of the educators. In today’s society, I have seen many
educators that are not knowledgeable of technologies, but in order for them to
exceed, they must tap into the power to technology to help change the school
system in order to advance their students. Recently, I have seen many school
systems create position such as I.T. technologist and technology directors to
help expedite the infusion of technology in the classroom, and eliminate
barriers.
Hi, Eric. Welcome to our class. I am looking forward to getting to know you better in the next eight weeks. One of my sons graduated from Mississippi College in Clinton. He loves Mississippi, and even lived there for a year after graduation.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest barrier I see is the lack of knowledge among the teachers. We as teachers get in a routine of teaching and we don’t want to learn a new way. The solution to this, as I see it, is professional development followed by mentoring. In this case the mentoring will probably be done by the younger teachers helping the older teachers instead of the other way around, as it usually is. When teachers see a new method actually working, they are much more likely to be willing to change. They can also spark new ideas when they see something another teacher is doing, coming up with something that will work with their own style of teaching.
Eric,
ReplyDeleteHaving educated, well-versed IT/Technology specialists on staff and that they are able to work with educators in a way that allows open communication and consistent support is a borderline miracle the larger the district is. I completely agree that it will lead to great things for our kids and the staff but can be a key missing link and detrimental to the progress of technology within the school. Technology is a weighty part of the job for most educators and can be even more difficult when they experience problems and hold-ups in their classroom as a result of faulty hardware or software. Staff members can become easily frustrated and give up if they feel they have nowhere to turn for help and troubleshooting support. Getting the right IT people in place to aid educators would be a huge step in the right direction and could really make huge gains for our students.
Jacki