The ubiquitous nature of technology is undeniable. Technology drives almost every aspect of business and, with the advent of social networking, a large part of our personal lives.
So why is technology still largely absent in the classroom?
Many teachers believe that children get enough exposure to technology outside of the classroom and that current pedagogical practice does not need the aid of technology. Roughly translated, this means that teachers are either unaware of technology, afraid of technology, or both. This unconscious incompetence plays a large role in the absence of technology in the classroom - if you don't know how technology can serve you in the classroom or even that certain technologies exist, then you don't know that you are missing anything.
While planning a technology-based lesson for a secondary practicum placement, I recently witnessed this phenomena firsthand. The classroom teacher was instrumental in the development of the lesson plan, however, the school lacked even the most basic equipment that was needed to complete the project.
Without support from the top it is no wonder that teachers have not made the integration of technology a priority. As educators, it is of utmost importance that the pursuit of life-long learning be demonstrated in the classroom and there is no better way to fall short in this pursuit then to fail to adapt to burgeoning technologies. Just as it is critical to adopt developing pedagogical methodologies, teachers must adopt new technologies - no matter how large the learning curve.
3 comments:
I agree, teachers have to understand why technology is needed in the first place. A lot of teachers think that gaming equals how to be able to use a computer, but it doesn't. Plus, if the school cannot afford the equipment then the teachers have no way of teaching the material.
I agree, technology is very important in the classroom. We are living in the age of technology and the students at all ages should know how to use technology.
I agree that it is important for the teachers to incorporate technology into the classrooms. Also, for the schools that do not have the basic equipment, my daughter's school applied for a grant for laptops for their class. But like someone already stated, it really is important for it to come for teachers to understand why it is needed.
shinette
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