The novelty of buying new software and hardware evolved into a realization that technology means nothing by itself. Technology now is seen for what it truly is -- a resource, not a be-all or end-all solution.
I found this particluar passage of this article very, very true. I sometimes see that our district is pumping so much money into technology, not teacher salaries, not after school programs, because it looks good and we want to seem like we're on the cutting edge like anyone else. Fast foward to a year later and only 10% of the teachers even know how to use the new programs! I enjoyed reading the point of view of a technolgy expert in education. I have seen our tech guy go through some pretty trying times with teachers who just don't seem to want to learn or change. It's getting better, and we have seen a lot more use of technology. The hard part about the technolgy is finding a time to implement it in an already cram packed day and also sharing the equipment such as projectors. I thought this lady made a very good point in saying that teachers that do use technology tended to be more impatient and want things "now". I think technology has turned some of us into that type of impatient person and has kind of spoiled us!
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I can certainly agree with you on our district pumping a lot of money into technology. I think that we do want to make ourselves "look good" to the parents and the community with keeping our technology up to date. Does it really benefit our students in the long run? Like you said a year from now who will know how to use the technology? Can a district keep up with the fast pace of growing technology? I still know some of our staff who have trouble now with consistently checking their email and going to the computer lab.
Don't get me wrong, I love computers and the technology that we have at our school. I do feel that students learn from them and are motivated with these tools.
I also find it hard sometimes to integrate all of the technology that we have into my lessons. This not only requires more time, we also need the "power" (electricity) to implement this technology.
Overall, I feel that teachers need to continue to change with the times and technology is playing a key role.
I also think that schools like to brag about how much technology they have. They are also looking for the next best software to solve our school performance issues. Technology is a tool to use, but you need teachers and staff to be able to use the programs effectively. We need to more training on how to use the programs, but that does not seem to be a priority!
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