According to the article, lack of teacher training is the major obstacle that needs to be overcome for effective technology use in the classroom. Sadly, research shows that most school districts spend less than 15 percent of their technology budgets on teacher training and development. Although curriculum taught in the classroom includes requires children become proficient in technology in a fast growing global world. Teachers struggle with teaching technology due to the fact that they are not properly trained in it themselves.
With both lack of time and training teachers are finding themselves in quite the quagmire as they search for education for technology. Many teachers feel the need to be trained off site so that they will not have the diversion of their students to contend with. Lack of funding and the teachers inability to motivate themselves to do the training outside of the normal work day are other factors that contribute to lack of training.
Many programs to support educators are flexible and are offered on-line. It seems that teachers need to understand that professional development does not stop when the school day ends.
The most effective way for teachers to learn technology is through collaborative learning that is non-threatening. In a collaborative learning environment adults can help support each other with their various levels of knowledge. This training must be ongoing and teachers need to be aware that this is an expectation of their jobs today. School districts also must jump on the bandwagon and provide support and training for this to be a win, win, situation for both the teachers and the students.
I recommend this website, as it is both insightful and interesting to me as I pursue my education degree. It certainly lays out that technolgy is moving forward and that educators must move with forward for the sake of our future.
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/brand191.cfm
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Your second to last paragragh says a lot. I think it is more that teachers and adults alike are intimidated by technology more so than just not motivated to do it. Many adult - especially ones in the 50and above age bracket do not want to learn about computers and fancy program and such. I know my mom doesn't even know how to turn the computer on at their house. She is a very intelligent woman, just does not feel comfortable using any aspect of the computer. It is just easier for her to have my dad get everything set up so all she has to do is read the e-mail. That is the only thing she does on a computer. Technology is a very intimidating thing and if you were brought up in this era where everything is technology based, it can be very hard. As a teacher, to then be expected to not only learn how to do these things but then to have to teach it to children can be very overwhelming. I was at the edge of all this new technology. In school we didn't use the internet for anything. It was out there but it wasn't really used for much. When I went to FVTC the first time, I was amazed by this thing called e-mail. I never used it for anything, it was just the thought of it all. Now over 10 years later, I don't know what i would do with e-mail. It is something I check on a regular basis and it is an important way for myself to communicate with friends and important people in my life.
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