This blog aims to answer the question: What barriers exist in in schools for technology adoption (if any)? Are there teacher-related barriers? Resource Related barriers? Is there anything that can be done?
I believe there are always barriers to overcome in schools and in education in general. As long as things keep evolving, growing, and advancing, there will always be new challenges to conquer.
Financial resources, adequate educator training, and technology support have been the greatest deterrents to technology adoption in my experience. These three barriers are also outlined by Solomon, Allen, and Resta (2003) who feel these are crucial components to digital equity. Many schools struggle with just being able to purchase technology. Many schools that have actually been able to acquire new technology never plan for effectively training teachers to properly integrate the new technologies into the learning environment. And then schools that can purchase technology, and train teachers, still often fail to provide proper support for the technology and for the teachers over the long term.
I have worked at a university that had enough resources to buy the technology and train faculty, but the training was terrible and ongoing support was somewhere between “extremely limited” and “non-existent.” When I refer to “support,” I am referring to technology support for faculty members who are actually motivated enough to try to integrate technology into learning, but when they have questions or difficulties, the I.T. department is unhelpful and/or never available. This is what I have seen at the university level, and it is difficult to see motivated faculty get discouraged and give up because there is poor support. A university can have all the technology in the world, but when that same university does not provide effective professional training for faculty, countless time and financial resources will be wasted.
Has anyone else seen or experienced being de-motivated by an uncaring or unsupportive I.T. or faculty support department? How do you think we can get and keep teachers motivated to use technology?
Reference
Solomon, G., Allen, N. J., Resta, P. (Eds.). (2003). Toward digital equity: Bridging the divide in education (2 ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is that there is a disconnect between tech support and the teachers. The teachers don't appreciate how tough it can be to maintain the technology they use, and tech support doesn't understand how a broken piece of equipment can really derail things in the classroom. While I've never experienced it personally (I've always been a fix it myself kind of guy), I've seen teachers really become upset about the lack of response from the tech support staff. Unfortunately, I got the reputation as someone who could fix computer problems, so often the other teachers ended up calling me first.
I think we need to show tech support what it's like in the classroom -- have them act as a sort of student teacher for a week or two. AND have teachers act as tech interns for a period of time as well, so they can see how much is involved in keeping the computers (and everything else) up and running -- and maybe learn something themselves so that they can troubleshoot their own equipment.
Unfortunately, there will always be obstacles that need to be overcome!
ReplyDeleteFinancial barriers are prevalent in today’s education field as teachers’ jobs are cut, resource money dwindles, and the economy waits to recover from the situation the U.S. is currently in. Raising taxes is rarely favorable; this leaves schools with tough decision to make and departments often suffer cuts. One thing I have read in my EDUC 638 class is that many of these barriers can be overcome by technology administrators looking at the total application of a technology plan and not getting lost in the fine details (Picciano, 2011). This pertains to what you mentioned about buying technology and not considering the maintenance of it once purchase. Also, the staff that will be needed to train teachers is often overlooked and needs to be included in the budget so that the technology that is purchased gets utilized.
Teacher training is a huge barrier. I am young to the field; I have taught three years. I have gone to college and my last couple years of high school while the technology revolution was occurring. I am abreast of the technologies that are out there and I am able to train myself to a degree. The reason I state all this is that my counterparts, veteran teachers who have been in the field for 10+ years, have not had the technology training or experience that I have. My coworkers see technology being used and want to use the technology themselves, but are absolutely mystified as to how to begin learning. They have always been taught in a traditional way where an instructor will show them what they need to do, so they wait.
Our school offered support at the building and district level, but the trainers and techs were spread thin because they often worked at multiple buildings. Our school provided technology training weekly during planning, but our tech and trainer were both split between schools and only available by appointment. This limitation of access to the trainer and technicians limited the veteran teacher training, which in turn, limited their use of technology.
I find novice training to be quite de-motivating. I feel that trainers need to train to all levels of learners in a single training session. Tech savvy learners feel that their time is wasted when they already know the information that is being presented. I have seen my coworkers be resistant to technology because of the lack of support and training.
I think that polling/surveying teachers as to what they wish to receive training on would help increase the motivation. I also think that surveying the experience level of the learners would also allow trainers to understand the level of their learners and they could adapt their instruction accordingly. I believe that having teachers teach others how to use technology they are currently using would also be motivating.
Reference
Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.). Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon.
RE: Warren
ReplyDeleteThere have been many times that I thought the same thing, Warren. “If only people could switch jobs for a day… then they would have an epiphany and gain enlightenment.” Not to mention, I thought they might also gain a sense of respect for others’ work. While most administrators would likely shoot your job shadowing idea in a heartbeat, I believe this could actually be implemented if a school/administrator actually created a structure for it.
For those schools lacking the hoodspa to implement this type of program, I suppose one could say that these issues are to be solved at the personal level. A gross simplification could be stated as this: expect excellence from those with whom you work, but also be willing to take the time to understand their needs and limitations to best serve your needs and their needs as well.
RE: Tiffany
ReplyDeleteFor those teachers who are used to a more traditional approach to learning and want to learn technology, there are actually a lot of great video tutorials that show the learner how to use different technologies (especially software). This may not be a face-to-face approach, but for teachers who prefer being guided through the learning process, video trainings are a great option, I believe. Video trainings also allow the learner to re-watch concepts that they do not readily comprehend, and can also make a great reference for the future when the teacher is trying to apply the learned concepts.
While many trainings will need to be done in-house, there are many great options available now for learning that may only require a nominal fee for subscribing to a video training service. I am not trying to minimize the difficulty found in the teacher-training process, but I have found technology trainings to be immensely beneficial for my own learning. If you have not already, check out the services at www.Lynda.com. They are also offered as a free service through many university’s libraries such as Liberty.