Session 6

This topic comes up every year at most school sites. What types of technology do we need to get and why will it be beneficial? Teachers are starting to learn that certain types of technology are important in the classrooms, but they fail to see how other types of technology can also be useful in meeting the needs of the students.
The three concerns that Dr. Newberry pointed out are the same points I see at my school: lack of computers, time and training. As I have stated in past blogs, my school is pretty tech savvy in which means, we have computers in every classroom and all the teachers are using the computers because we are a paperless school and so this is their only means to receive information. However, even the most technological school has these same issues to deal with. As stated in the podcast, even if the teacher has all the technology that can benefit them and their students, it still raises concerns. Such as classroom management, training, availability and students knowledge. I agree with my teachers at my school site when they say, "it just takes so long to get the students use to the computer and to teach them how to navigate through it." Of course it does, it took me a while to learn the computer and I am not in Elementary school. I tell my teachers that teaching them to read, do math, learn history and to play with science all takes time too. Nevertheless we continue to do it---why? Because we have to? No, because we want them to learn and to build on their skills so eventually they can go on and graduate high school. So why not teach them computers also---a skill that will not only help them to graduate high school, but a skill that will continue to grow and get them a higher paying job someday. People that are technology knowledgeable are in higher demand today that ever before. Teaching a child will prepare them for a better job and future. I also remind them that learning the basics is all they need to know in Elementary. You don't need to go out there and teach them how to build websites for monster corporations. Teach the word, excel, power point, publisher and the rest will just happen as they build their confidence and knowledge of the computer.
Even though we have computers in every classroom, I continue to hear that there are not enough computers and/or the computers that they do have are outdated and not working. This I would say is a proxy barrier. Often times a warning will pop up on the computer (need to update the anti-virus software) and the teacher turns it off and never uses it again. This type of barrier is not helping the teacher nor the student. The teacher can simply ask another teacher to come help them, or ask someone on the tech committee to help them. But they do nothing and that technology is gone to waste. Then when the budget comes out and we are deciding what we need, that teacher will state that they have a broken computer in their room. We go in turn it on, update the software and there- a new computer. I think at my school, teachers would like to have about five computers per room, but for now we have at least three computers per room and a full working computer lab with thirty-four computers.
Lack of time is another huge concern. Teachers and administrators always say that they would love to purchase the newer technologies out there, but who is going to show them how to use it and when in their busy daily schedule are they actually going to have the students using it? We hold about three technology trainings each year where we show teachers how to troubleshoot, use LCD projectors, navigate through PowerPoint and how to create newsletters with Publisher. I would love to hold a training, to show them how to create basic webpages...Again--- time? I tell the teachers, just like you prep for all the subjects that you are teaching, prep a PowerPoint presentation and instead of running off those extra worksheets to give as a review, show them the PowerPoint that you created, and I guarantee that you will have full class participation and each child will walk out of there learning more than they would have with just an extra worksheet. I can see this as an actual barrier, just because we don't have time to show teachers how to use the technology unless they want to learn on their own time. This also covers the issue of training at the sametime. The lack of trainers and the time they need to prepare a lesson for the teachers.
These are all common issues I think you would find at most schools today. You always want what you don't have and then when you have it, you don't know what to do with it.

Activity log:
I am starting to work on and finish my Focus Project one and three. I am still putting together information that I will need to complete Focus Project two. I posted blogs on three peers blogs as well.