Critical Issue: Promoting Technology Use In Schools Essay -- essays re

Critical Issue Promoting Technology Use in Schools impression Although there has been a strong push to get educational applied science into the hands of teachers and students, umpteen obstacles to implementation still exist. Equipment may non be placed in easily accessible locations. Hardware and software much pose problems for teachers in the classroom, and just-in-time technical support may be unavailable. Teachers may lack the time and the motivation to learn engineering science skills. Professional ripening activities may not provide ongoing, hands-on training for teachers or pragmatical strategies for implementing engine room into lesson plans. Initial technology funding may not be sustained and thus not capable of providing upgrades, maintenance, and ongoing professional development. Fortunately, these obstacles preserve be addressed and overcome. This Critical Issue provides practical information for promoting technology enforce in schools.OVERVIEW The push to prov ide technology in schools has been self-made in recent years. check to Goldman, Cole, and Syer (2000), most schools make up computer labs and many have computers in every classroom. More than 90 per centum of exclusively schools are connected to the net, and more than 33 percent of teachers have net access in their classrooms. Yet teachers readily admit that they are not making as much use of technology as they could. According to an Education Week survey, nearly 30 percent of teachers said their students use computers only one hour per week nearly 40 percent said their students do not use computers in the classroom at all (Trotter, 2001). Although technology is more prevalent in the schools, several factors require whether and how it is used. Those factors include placement of computers for equitable access, technical support, effective goals for technology use, rising roles for teachers, time for ongoing professional development, appropriate coaching of teachers at diame trical skill levels, teacher incentives for use, availability of educational software, and sustained funding for technology.Placing Computers for trustworthy Access Access to technology is an important issue for teachers and students. Although schools may have computers available, one factor that determines their use is where those computers are located. If computers are connected to the Internet but are not in a convenient location, the availabi... ...riodically dress down classrooms to determine teachers technology needs and to observe and encourage their integration strategies. support opportunities for teachers to observe effective technology use in other classes or schools. Recognize teacher successes with technology. Share these stories with the school and the community. Encourage teachers to share their successes with colleagues at conferences.Participate in professional development programs, study groups, and other technology activities with teachers and other staff memb ers. REFERENCESBailey, G., & Pownell, D. (2002, November). Technology staff development and support programs Applying Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs. Learning and Leading With Technology, 26(3), 47-51.Burgos, M. (2001) A successful model for school cash advanceGlenn, A. D. (2003). Technology and the continuing education of classroom teachers. Peabody Journal of Education, 7(1), 122-128. Goldman, S., Cole, K., & Syer, C. (2000). The technology/ nitty-gritty dilemmaTrotter, A. (2001, September 23). Preparing teachers for the digital age. Education Week