Video Twelve: Statewide Implementation of Technology

 After watching the assigned video the objective of this blog was to answer the following questions:

1. What are some of the issues relating to teacher training in technology? 

2. How can collaboration between K-12 and higher education institutions help in training teachers to integrate technology? 

3. How important is it to obtain legislative, community, and government support toward planning statewide technology teacher training?  What type of training do teachers need concerning technology training?  What type of support do teachers need to continue their professional development? 

4. How would the classroom environment look if ALL teachers have full technology support and proper professional development in using technology?

I believe that one of the first issues relating to teacher training in technology would be the lack of qualified trainers for such incorporating technology. Some states and/or schools place only one technology individual in place per school and, sometimes, per district. This can be extremely challenging and inadequate to address standards such as NET-S, NET-T, and NET-A as well as provide the support needed to teachers to become efficient and effective with his/her integration of technology within the classroom. However with some initial guiding many individuals can pick up and/or train themselves on new technologies by using a trial and error process. In this particular situation the challenge at times can be providing adequate resources for teachers to train and teach on. In response to an online course discussion this week one of my colleagues stated that nothing is more frustrating than learning how to use a technology and then not being able to have those resources to actually use. Funding in every area of education is a continued issue however for our nation to properly address the technology gap and develop a consistent level of technology proficiency adequate funding opportunities will need to be provided. Finally and probably in my experiences the most prominent issue is motivating teachers to learn and implement the technology. Many older teachers do not believe that technology is needed within their classroom and will fight integrating it. Some older teachers are just scared of these technologies as they are untrained on them and know the students will know more than them. These barriers as well as many others should be researched and considered when looking at integrating technology within schools.

Collaboration and communication are two of the most powerful tools any organization can have. As cited in the assigned video the educator stated how amazing the results within the state were because of the joint effort made by P-12, higher education and the state government to achieve the same goal. In particular the relationship between K-12 and higher education is essential as higher education educates tomorrow’s teachers. Without knowing the skills and expectations of what K-12 higher education would not be able to properly prepare future teachers for the implementation of technology within the classrooms. A prime example would be in the state of Mississippi. After hurricane Katrina, Cisco provided many schools with Promethean boards that are a part of the white board technology. Students were excited as were teachers however these boards are rarely being utilized because teachers have not been trained on how to use them. By communicating this need with higher education institutions K-12 together these two entities have been able to provide training to current teachers as well as develop course work on white board technology for future teachers. Collaboration and communication will be essential components for any successful integration of technology within education.

As stated earlier, it is essential to obtain support from local, state, and federal government agencies as well as your legislative body and community to not only ensure that the planning of teacher training is adequate but also to provide funding in areas of greatest need. One of these areas would be professional development for teachers. Technology needs can range from district to district, school to school, and/or teacher to teacher. Professional development funds should be allocated for individuals who wish to continue integrating technology within their field. In regards to school and district level trainings, representatives should come together, establish the needs and goals, and create an action plan as to what it is they seek to accomplish. You also want to ensure consistent training modules are provided across the state to help teachers equally achieve their technology goals in place. Maybe the state believes 10 of the proposed 20 trainings are essential and that every teacher should be trained on it however I believe this will vary from state to state. To effectively manage trainings for teachers there should be multiple levels, platforms and support provided to ensure that teachers are provided with the tools needed to successfully integrate technology.

I do not believe we have discovered what a fully integrated, fully supported technology classroom looks like however; I believe it will be the classroom of the 21^st century. This classroom will be able to provide teachers with the technology needed to successfully support and educate students on both content and technology. Additionally it will help students achieve their learning outcomes by allowing individualized lessons. As I continue to study and learn more about technology I hope to be a change agent in making this type of classroom a reality.