Trends in Educational Technology
... and Allen commented in their book “American Schools: The 100 Billion Dollar Challenge, (2000)” that there is no excuse for a nation with so many resources and wealth as the United States to have sub par functioning schools and unable to guarantee that every child in America (regardless of location) don’t have a computer and knows how to use it, that every teacher have training in curriculum and methods, and the profession of teaching attracts and holds top university graduates. We have the resources as a nation to fund any new educational initiative we choose. They went on to comment, in general, that we have proven that we can come together and spend billions of dollars on projects that we had no guarantee or were uncertain of what we would find. They gave the space project that culminated in a voyage in to the moon in 1969. Likewise, we should have the courage and faith in our educators and administrators to commit and lift this educational process into a world-class program for other nation emulate. One of the largest communities affected by the lack of technology thereof is our rural schools community. Since the 1940s the number of rural schools has decreased by 69%, in spite of a 70% increase in the student population (Cotton, 1996). With enrollments on the rise, the number of quality teachers with technology savvy has not kept pace with demand. Issues with Technology Overall the number of teachers trained each year is adequate to fill open positions; however the distribution of these candidates is uneven (Collins, 1999). Rural school face the greatest challenge in recruiting teachers and maintaining a solid technology program; as they have the least resources, account for half of all schools and employ 40% of all public school teachers (National Education Association, 1998). There are many factors that explain why the most common concern of technology in the classrooms is not being effectively used, as it should be or intended to be. This leads to questions from those who are funding these programs to superintendents wanting to know if teachers are properly using technology in their classrooms and is it affective student learning and motivation to learn, to parents wanting to know if this technology media would improve scores on heir children’s standardized tests. Often time, educators do not know what or how to evaluate, point out deficiencies or provide suggestions for improvement because they themselves do not know or fully understand the technology themselves. Issues with Providing Quality Technology Evaluations There are several reasons why we must learn to evaluate these programs in order to maximize their use and effectiveness in the classrooms: · To provide information to program personnel and others on aspects of the program that work well and potential problems. · To catch potential problems early in the program so they can be corrected before more serious problems occur. · To guide further evaluation efforts. For instance, an evaluation may bring to light issues that need to be examined in greater detail or an initial evaluation of program implementation may be used, in part, to guide a later evaluation of long-term impact. · To provide information on what technical assistance may be needed. · To determine what impact the program is having on participants It is no wonder why one in five teachers will leave in the first three years of teaching (Edwards, 2000). In the Midwest the problem is exacerbated, as 50% of teachers leave in the first five years and rates are even higher if the teacher started his or her career under the age of 30. Most of these teacher flights are due to faulty training or lack of training thereof in technology and other prominent skills they need to survive past their first three years of teaching. When teachers of quality leave education, student achievement suffers. Their students' scores drop on standardized assessments as does the number of positive comments about school (Brewster, 2001). Therefore effective evaluation of technology programs and their influence on learning must be scrutinized without par. Realizing that funding is the number one enemy of our failing schools, teachers, parents, principals and administrators must work together for the benefit of their students. According to the US department of education (1999), Rural districts spend on average $400 less per pupil than suburban districts. They often miss funding opportunities because they do not have the personnel or resources to complete grant applications for additional teacher training. The Benefits of Technology in The Classrooms If technology can create miracles and wonders on a larger scale such as the space project of 1969, surely it can create wonders and miracles in our classrooms. We just need to know how to tailor the technology to our local school program and immediate needs and not assume that is going to be the cure all, or take the place of the teacher, but an added tool teachers can use to reach the busy minds of our students. Technology can take the students into parts of their learning process have never gone before. Teachers can make their lessons come alive while students are maintaining their focus and staying on task for a greater number of times. In addition, when students feel a connection to their teacher, they are more likely to take responsibility for their learning and the instructional activities are perceived as more relevant (Boss, 2000). As stated in earlier paragraphs, technology has proven to be the prime factor behind student motivation for learning. At risk students have been turned around from that of an academic failure drop out to a very successful graduate with a bright future in creating his/her own technology based innovation (Education Reform Studies, 2005). In fact, most teachers and students are sometimes surprised at the level of technology-based accomplishment displayed by students who have shown much less initiative or facility with more conventional academic tasks. In many of these classrooms teachers are finding more and more students working on computer based projects even through their recess. How then can we place a cap on technology investment when the sky is the limit as to what our children can do with technology? In closing, just as our efforts to reach the moon has yielded unexpected benefits from ceramic stovetops to the global positioning systems. Investing in our future generation without regard to cause, we could explore the learning space just inside the classroom door. Addressing Concerns The public and staff may have concerns about the financial ramifications of financing a program focused solely on technology. Although the initial costs may be substantial, it is more expensive to continually retain students for failing to meet the requirements for the next higher grade or worst, send them out into the real world unprepared for this technology-based world that we live in today. Administration and staff must recognize that any change process is inherently filled with conflict. It may not be possible to improve school climate and avoid conflict, but that is not a sign that the transition is a failure (Raywind, 1996). The administrator may struggle the most with the transition, as the principal must become a facilitator as opposed to the sole leader. As the staff assumes responsibility for leadership and has a greater decision-making role as they shift form 10 to 15 percent use of technology in most schools to 100 percent. When teachers are involved in the transition process, they are likely to be more open to innovation and feel a stake in the success of the school. The staff must be given time to formulate and accept the new planning; as rushing through the process will only cause frustration. The plan to increase the use of technology must be implemented over two years and current teachers used in the formation and execution of the plan. Current educators understand the factors that motivate teachers. Teachers will benefit, as will the students so it makes sense that staff develop the program because they are the ones that see the daily problems of the situation at hand. First, the staff must develop a clear vision and mission for establishing and maintaining a good technology-based program. The teachers must feel comfortable with the plan and rest assured it can contribute to the academic success of students. The plan should include a method for measuring t...