Are We Reaching the Technology Standards for Teachers and Students?
There is no doubt that teachers are looking at trying to incorporate more technology into their classrooms, but in terms of the standards that are established for teaching technology in our classrooms, how many teachers are actually meeting these goals? I will try to examine how teachers are meeting the teaching standards set up for them by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
In terms of the first technology standard of basic operational knowledge of technology, I think that most teachers today have to use computers more in their daily work than in the past. Many teachers have used GradeQuick or some type of grading software for the grades and have even used email or instant messaging. To me, this first goal seems very easy to reach and continue meeting in the future as long as they continue to try and work with new technologies.
The second goal of planning and designing learning environments and experiences could pose some problems for teachers, but if there is an appropriate set of guidelines established by the administration and the school district, this goal could very easily be met. A lot of this success of this goal is going to be based on the access given to schools to technology and also the funds for paying for this technology.
The third goal of application of technology in instruction is where many teachers are going to start having some difficulties. I think that many teachers would try to use technology in the classroom, but due to limited use of the programs and a low level of comfort with programs, it could easily prevent many teachers from meeting this standard.
The fourth goal of assessment and evaluation is used to some extent by teachers in terms of using grading programs, but in the scheme of things, it really isn't probably being used by teachers in terms of providing students with alternative forms of assessment and evaluation that would lead to more interest and success in using technology in the classroom.
The fifth goal of productivity and professional practice is also going to tied into how much funding and support is going to be given by the district and the administration. If there is no incentive for moving more technology into the classroom, it will be hard for teachers to view technology as something that will help them become better teachers for their students.
The final goal for teachers of social, ethical, legal, and human issues is something that is probably dealt with in the computer classrooms of most schools. I know that in our school that our computer teacher works very hard with the students in providing them with information on the proper use of technology in the school setting. I also know that she discusses with the teachers about how to properly use technology in the school building, and while some teachers may just ignore what she says, you have a small group of teachers that are working at becoming better teachers of technology and also better at incorporating technology successfully in the classroom.
In any case, the standards are always going to not be met by teachers due to many factors, but the biggest limitation of meeting these standards is going to fall into the area of funding. With many schools having difficulty finding funds for daily operations of the school buildings, money that could be used to better accomodate teachers to using new technologies in the classroom setting are going to be moved to areas that are deemed more important to the survival of the school. It is always going to be a fine line for incorporating technology in the school setting, but without proper funding, it will be destined for failure.
The student standards are definitely something that is not going to be easily met in the regular classroom enviroment because of the lack of time that many teachers have due to the increased importance of meeting yearly growth in our standardized testing. With more of the focus put on meeting that yearly growth, many teachers are forced to abandon creativity in order to teach toward the test. If you have a good computer teacher who can focus on teaching to these standards, the goals could be easily met, but without the approval of the teacher, it could make meeting these goals nearly impossible.
As technology becomes increasingly more important in the future, I am sure that there will more of a movement by the government to bring about changes in the teaching of technology and its use in the classroom. However, until that time sees the light of day, it could be a long time before we see some improvement in how many schools with meet these teaching standards.
In terms of the first technology standard of basic operational knowledge of technology, I think that most teachers today have to use computers more in their daily work than in the past. Many teachers have used GradeQuick or some type of grading software for the grades and have even used email or instant messaging. To me, this first goal seems very easy to reach and continue meeting in the future as long as they continue to try and work with new technologies.
The second goal of planning and designing learning environments and experiences could pose some problems for teachers, but if there is an appropriate set of guidelines established by the administration and the school district, this goal could very easily be met. A lot of this success of this goal is going to be based on the access given to schools to technology and also the funds for paying for this technology.
The third goal of application of technology in instruction is where many teachers are going to start having some difficulties. I think that many teachers would try to use technology in the classroom, but due to limited use of the programs and a low level of comfort with programs, it could easily prevent many teachers from meeting this standard.
The fourth goal of assessment and evaluation is used to some extent by teachers in terms of using grading programs, but in the scheme of things, it really isn't probably being used by teachers in terms of providing students with alternative forms of assessment and evaluation that would lead to more interest and success in using technology in the classroom.
The fifth goal of productivity and professional practice is also going to tied into how much funding and support is going to be given by the district and the administration. If there is no incentive for moving more technology into the classroom, it will be hard for teachers to view technology as something that will help them become better teachers for their students.
The final goal for teachers of social, ethical, legal, and human issues is something that is probably dealt with in the computer classrooms of most schools. I know that in our school that our computer teacher works very hard with the students in providing them with information on the proper use of technology in the school setting. I also know that she discusses with the teachers about how to properly use technology in the school building, and while some teachers may just ignore what she says, you have a small group of teachers that are working at becoming better teachers of technology and also better at incorporating technology successfully in the classroom.
In any case, the standards are always going to not be met by teachers due to many factors, but the biggest limitation of meeting these standards is going to fall into the area of funding. With many schools having difficulty finding funds for daily operations of the school buildings, money that could be used to better accomodate teachers to using new technologies in the classroom setting are going to be moved to areas that are deemed more important to the survival of the school. It is always going to be a fine line for incorporating technology in the school setting, but without proper funding, it will be destined for failure.
The student standards are definitely something that is not going to be easily met in the regular classroom enviroment because of the lack of time that many teachers have due to the increased importance of meeting yearly growth in our standardized testing. With more of the focus put on meeting that yearly growth, many teachers are forced to abandon creativity in order to teach toward the test. If you have a good computer teacher who can focus on teaching to these standards, the goals could be easily met, but without the approval of the teacher, it could make meeting these goals nearly impossible.
As technology becomes increasingly more important in the future, I am sure that there will more of a movement by the government to bring about changes in the teaching of technology and its use in the classroom. However, until that time sees the light of day, it could be a long time before we see some improvement in how many schools with meet these teaching standards.
posted by Nick Hartz at
9:07 AM
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