Are teachers the biggest obstacle to technology in education ?
An answerer on this site seems to think so ...
What's your take?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Christopher Casal on
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I would agree with that.
You could have a brand new lab of 30 pristine Macs, but if there in no one qualified to use them they become giant, shiny, expensive game consoles and internet boxes.
A SmartBoard just takes up space unless utilized by the teacher.
I think the human element is the obstacle to almost anything. In general, regardless of the topic, venue, device, etc it is usually the reluctance or aversion of the person which prevents proper use, integration, etc.
Example:
For 1 teacher I got 8 clamshell Mac Books (circa 2001) up and running, with a basic browser and an old MS Office suite. They weren't fast or great, but they worked and she used them daily. Another teacher has 2 brand new iMacs in her room. She checks email, prints out homework, etc. The students don't use them.
The 9 year old, obsolete dinosaurs get more use, and impact teaching, far more than the 1 year old iMacs simply because the person using them is excited about the possibilities and knows how to effectively integrate the available resources into the teaching day.
I've always said, the problem with education is the teachers...
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Permalink Reply by Jessica Reeves on
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I would agree...and I do have access to 192 brand new Macs; I use them daily, but for the most part they sit, and sit..and sit! I can't fathom teaching writing the old way...publishing for just one teacher to read and comment on. It's so archaic...I agree, for the most part, teachers are the reason we don't use as much technology as we are capable.
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Permalink Reply by Terry Daugherty on
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I worked recently with a teacher who came from the Insurance industry. She was frustrated with her ability to use technology in the classroom. She pointed out that in her former job, she might receive two full days of software training and then professional on-site support on first day of implementation.
We will not spend that amount of time with teachers on new software or hardware. We don't think it is as vital as the Insurance industry does to conducting business.
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Permalink Reply by Erika Jordan on
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Terry,
I hear this argument all of the time. "Why don't we get a full day of training?... Where is the manual?... We never have enough time to learn how to use this technology"
Seriously, I want you to be a better teacher not a better tool user. Teaching AND Learning is a part of your job.
In the insurance industry the agent more than likely had to use the technology tool consistently to complete his/her job because of industry changes. In the education industry the teacher needs to use the appropriate tools as needed for teaching and learning because the learner changes by the minute.
If the teacher is not learning and teaching then they are just wasting time sitting around waiting for a
"training" on how to use a tool that is not going to impact student learning. The teacher and learner are going to impact student learning.
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Permalink Reply by Tamara on
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I believe so. If a teacher doesn't know how to use a certain type of technology in the classroom, then how are the students going to utilize it, especially when it comes to educational purposes? When I was first learning how to use a graphing calculator in high school, I had no idea what I was doing, and I was just about ready to make do without it. However, my teacher taught us how to use it, and now I can't seem to do math without it. In short, if a teacher isn't willing to take the time and energy to learn how to use new technology, then the students sure aren't.
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If you do not have a teacher who is well informed or educated in technology then the students will not learn the full capability of software's they should be learning. Students wont understand the importance of the technology that is intended to extend their learning. Students won't take the teacher or the class seriously and won't learn anything or much at all. If the teacher has alot of knowledge on any subject they can be more enthusiastic in teaching the students and the students will be excited to learn.
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The technology needs to be learned first by the teacher so s/he can then turn around and teach the students how to correctly utilize it. An example that comes to mind with poor teaching skills in this area is a family member's experience with her economics professor. Although this class is not a highly technological class, this should still apply. The professor will not allow any form of computers or cell phones in the classroom – not to take notes or anything. She responded “if I don't understand this technology, I'm not going to allow you to use it in my classroom either.” I believe that quote says it all there. A lot of people do not like what they don't know; if a teacher is not familiar enough with technology then it will lead to a big obstacle in teaching more often than not.
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Almost certainly. Being unfamiliar with technology and trying to utilize it in a classroom can be more counterproductive than productive. If a teacher is trying to use a technology and struggles with it, the students get frustrated and lose interest in class for that period and may even question whether the teacher knows what they are doing. If we are going to use technology, we need to know how to use it.
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Teachers can pose a huge problem, especially when their students can "out smart" them on the very technology they are trying to teach. Though, I think there is a sollution to this problem. By providing workshops and handy tech guys for teachers access, schools can keep their teachers up to date with the same things the students are using.
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Again, we need to quit putting all of our eggs into the "training" basket. I want the teacher willing to model teaching AND learning for their students. So what if the technology doesn't work perfectly. I hope the teacher still remembers their content and the fact that they are trying to promote life long learning. If we give up as soon as the technology doesn't work then we have modeled giving up and a quick solution is the only solution. If we try it a few more times and possibly model for our students that being creative and problem solving is a necessary skill, now that may teach our students more than just content.
As a teacher and a learner I must put forth the effort in attending offered trainings ALONG WITH taking advantage of my own valuable time to learn more about a tool. I use my own valuable time because I feel it is important to look for resources and tools that will help my students understand concepts and build their skills as a learner. After all isn't that what teaching and learning is.... I teach AND I learn without a talking head handing me a manual and walking me through it?
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Permalink Reply by james thornburgh on
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I completely agree. I see too many teachers that want the same hand feeding that they complain about having to give their students. They don't want to learn how to use technology because it's "hard", but they don't take the time to sit down and understand it. I too believe that we should model how to be a learner to our students.
I continuously have to figure things out when students ask questions I'm not prepared to answer. I used to say I'd get back to them later with the answer. Now I let them watch me look up the answer.
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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Mahan on
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I think that teachers can be a very big obstacle to technology in education if they do not know how to use technology or do not integrate it into their classrooms. However, I think in order to make education as effective as possible that there needs to be a balance between technology and teachers. Teachers should be there to teach the students the information they need to know along with guiding them through the learning process. Technology should be used to reinforce this information and teach it in a new way that way as many learning styles are incorporated as possible.
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