Barriers in Technology Integration in the Classroom

As I am organizing my thoughts around my future dissertation, I find myself facinated by the fact that computers have been around for at least 25 years and there is still an issue with technology integration into the classroom. For the past 20 years I have been teaching at the middle school and high school level. Although I started out as an elementary teacher, at the time all the openings were at the middle school and high school level in science and technology. Not many openings at the elementary level. It was very difficult to get a job at the time I enter the teaching profession because there were many other experienced teachers looking for a job too. It was because of my science and technology background that finally got me my first job. The school that I am going to is an elementary school with a mix of young and older teachers. They have never had formal technology classes for students or teachers in this school. Just this past year they had a computer lab put into place. This was a real shock that this school has not had technology implemented as part of the curriculum. I was wondering what I was getting myself into, but I am looking forward to the challenge of helping this school move into the use of technology in the classroom and as a support fo the school. Needless to say, I am wondering what kinds of barriers that some of you may have encountered in trying to get technology integrated and why kinds of solutions have you been able to come up with? These are issues that I am concern about if we are going to promote the use of technology in our classrooms and in our schools. Any thoughts? Peggy

0 members like this

Comment by pamela on July 15, 2007 at 5:47am: I am working on a project for a grad class wondering what challenges face education with social networking? Have you had any luck finding info you could share? Thanks. Pamela

Comment by Peggy Soong Yaplee on July 15, 2007 at 1:31pm: Pam,
Here is a link to an online journal that addressing the very thing you are asking.

http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=393

I guess for me the challenge is taking what is occuring in social networking and using it as a learning moment for me and my students.

I used a closed Wikispace to get my students engaged in networking for the Yearbook class and used what they love doing and that is telling stories about what they were doing outside of class as well as issues around doing a page for the yearbook. It was a way to give voice to my students as well as a way of writing to them privately if there was a concern.

The biggest challenge I had to impart to my students about social networking was how to set up thier pages so that they were by invitation only, how to stay safe and to be bold enough to report a person who was trying to get them to do something they weren't suppose to.

I think that the idea of what you post online and how you broadcast information is another issue.

If I run across anymore information, I will let you know. I am nterested in your project, are you willing to share more of it?

Peggy