Technology is consuming our everyday lives.. Computers, iPads, Smart Phones.. Classrooms are a big part of that as well. Whether it is computers or iPads for student use, or Smart Boards/TVs for teacher instruction and student use, technology is everywhere. And our question is, are we able to keep up with it? Do we have the necessary recourses to keep up with all of the trends being used or being required to use in the classroom?
This is a section quoted from the article We Don’t Have Resources to Keep Up with Technology": 2016 Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes Talks to EdSurge:
"Technology has changed teaching. You have access to unlimited resources that are right at your fingertips. And one of the challenges we have at my school is that we can’t keep up with technology. Oftentimes, my students are walking me through programs that our IT department hasn’t even gotten yet. We purchase computers or equipment, and two years later, it’s outdated. (Madda, 2016)"
This is what stuck out to me the most and I couldn't agree more. Now and days, kids know more about new programs than us a teachers do or our technology department. While I do work at a technology magnet school, we do have technology that is outdated to the new trends in the world. Our school just got Smart Boards for each classroom, and while they are amazing, by the time we got them, 2 newer versions of the Smart Board had been created.
There are so many resources that are currently available to us in the classroom, BUT, are all teachers properly trained to use the technology provided to them effectively?
Another quote:
"But teaching does not look like what it did five years ago. I can take my kids on a tour of the Smithsonian from my classroom; I can Skype into another educator’s classroom and share resources or watch them teach. (Madda, 2016)" -- She is right in the fact that teaching is much more technologically advanced then it was 5 years ago. Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing? I think educators can argue both sides of it.
Today in my classroom, I use technology daily. I use a Smart Board to show videos, teach lessons, have interactive instruction, and use many programs or apps for student learning. We also use laptops for students to do independent math and reading online lessons. We have iPads for student use as well. But some are outdated, some don't always work, and some don't have the updated software that is needed for certain programs. So I think what Hayes was explaining in her interview had some truth to it. Not all schools, teachers, classrooms have the proper resources to keep up with today's technology. What can we do to fix it when there is low funding?
Madda, M. (2016, August 02). We don’t have resources to keep up with technology”: 2016 teacher of the year Jahana Hayes talks to EdSurge. Retrieved September 01, 2016, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-02-we-don-t-have-resources-to-keep-up-with-technology-2016-teacher-of-the-year-jahana-hayes-talks-to-edsurge
About Me
- Ashley Frush
- Heathrow , Florida
- I'm Ashley! I am a teacher to 20 precious second graders, and I love my job more and more everyday. I am engaged to my highschool sweetheart and will be getting married in February 2017! We have two dogs - Tank, our Boxer and Colt, our Mali-Shepherd Mix.
Hi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteSome of the statements you made in your blog made me think of my exact struggles and frustrations. I feel that my 5th grade students are more adept with new technologies, that I often times feel inadequate as a teacher when it comes to teaching with these types of technologies. Like you and Hayes also stated, our technologies are not up to date and are often not operating at an acceptable speed or functionality that is conducive for classroom purposes. As teachers, we need our tools to be functional and precise. We don't have time for "things to go wrong". Thanks for sharing and for taking risks in using technology with your students. Looking forward to reading further comments. :)