I love how this article begins:

In this rapidly transforming world, where employment requirements and fundamental literacy expectations are quickly changing, education must also change to meet these demands.

The article is exemplary in pointing out deficiencies within the teaching realm. The point made is agreeable, most agreeable. However, as in other posts, I direct the reader’s attention to the fact that while the average teacher’s exposure is limited, the technology available to the teacher often makes the difference.

True,

Teachers’ instructional practices are influenced by numerous personal factors, including their personality and belief system. Belief system and values are a product of teachers’ own prior knowledge, development, and experience as an individual. The greatest influence of teacher style appears to be the organizational culture. In order for instructional technology to be successfully implemented, teacher beliefs and values need to be shaped.

Yet, how does one go about fully preparing the next generation for the demands of a technological world when the technological infrastructure is superficial at best and in some cases does not even exist!

Teachers teach! And yes, I do not argue the insufficiencies of teacher training. I also do not argue that teachers must take the onus upon themselves to undertake professional training that will remedy this situation. But, when do they undertake this preparation? Di Benedetto points out that through professional development teachers can begin the process of receiving training in the technologies that will strengthen their understanding and best help their students. This is extremely important!!!

However, a study (see the article) performed in Louisiana, based upon a “professional development program as it related to changing the pedagogy of teachers [wherein] Integrate Technology (InTech) was the primary means of delivering technology training to teachers in the state of Louisiana during the time of this study…” found no significant difference between InTech and Non InTech trained teachers in nearly all categories.

So, if according to the study, there is no significant difference in teacher training. It can lead us to a conclusion (one of many) that it is desire (of the teacher) to implement technology via their knowledge and inspiration rather than some kind of formal professional development.

Which revolves around to my favorite topic of this blog – If you have fully trained teachers, or, even teachers who are motivated and desirous to teach technology – what happens when you lack the resources to develop the infrastructure necessary for the students to build the solid foundation necessary for them to succeed?

The businesses that utilize technology and require their employees to have a solid foundation in technology, be it development of new products, prepare a document or spreadsheet, or just be able to navigate the internet are obligated to help fund the infrastructure. This, I agree, is a daunting task. Yet, if the infrastructure is not fully developed…

Several years ago there was debate on the implementation of population control by euthanizing or aborting newborns or fetus’ that were in some way “defective”. It was argued that population seems to have increased rampantly by keeping alive those who in past history would have not survived. On the contrary it was argued that brilliant minds would have been destroyed by this. It was asked, “Will you destroy the potential Einstein or Hawking?” I now put forth this argument: If you demand teachers teach technology and then withhold the tools necessary with which they can teach, what becomes of the potential Gates or Jobs?

There is an onus upon the teacher to take upon themselves the necessity to learn the technology so that their students will be enriched and can take part in a burgeoning technological society. However, there is an increasing onus on the part of business to invest, via the tools necessary to make this change come about. Education is about preparation. The teachers of this world realize this. They do their best and learn what they need in order to impart to their students that which is necessary for them to become productive members of society.

Help us to achieve what is necessary to complete our task.

So, I did use technology in my classroom this year.  I designed a WebQuest for a class I took this summer.  In theory my students were supposed to access this WebQuest to research the California Gold Rush.  Now, honestly there were some problems with the WebQuest itself: The information I included for my students was a bit more sophisticated than I wanted, but, they persevered.  The problem was that when we began the project not all of the students had access to computers.  As a matter of fact, out of 30 students only six had access to a computer outside of school.

Now, I work in a school district in which technology appears to be an essential, and, the administration of the district and the school board are crying that we need to use more technology, however, the reality of the situation is that aside from the lip service that is used to promote the fact that technology is essential for the students to have, there is absolutely no real, concrete support for technology itself.

In my classroom I have one computer with which my students are able to access the internet.  Our computer lab is equipped with 18 iMac computers (15 of which work) from several years ago that operate on OS9 and we have a 5 year old Mac laptop lab with 14 working computers all of which are shared by 491 students. Even though several of our teachers are proficient in the use of various technologies (myself included) it is the lack of hardware that is undermining our determination to use technology in the classroom.

My point is this:  As we take off into the 21st century and technology becomes ever increasingly important not only in a students education but in a person’s pursuit of a career, our poorer school districts are being left behind at a staggering rate that increases the disparity between rich and poor.

This is extremely important as schools and districts are rarely economically static.  In any one district the students who attend schools within that district, even unto the individual schools themselves, will draw from a wide variety of economic backgrounds.  And how, you may ask, does this effect our various student populations?  Well, schools, like my own, who cannot afford the technology will not be able to provide the  technology experience within a student’s education that is more increasingly necessary in a child’s education.

The most disappointing part of all of this (and this is what you really need to focus on) is that students who have access to this technology outside the classroom may not be getting the foundation that they will need to succeed in a world where one’s reliance on technology will make the difference between success and failure.