I can relate to Perry and Areglato’s (2001) assessment that computer and technology labs tend to be pushed off into a dark corner. Teachers are consumed by the paper work and constraints of teaching and they forget about computers and technology. Or, if they are older teachers, fear the unknown factor of adding technology to the lessons they have been teaching for the past ten to fifteen years.
Perry and Areglato (2001) state that along with teachers, principals need to change their practices with the introduction of technology. In the past, principals were managers who were problem-solvers, compromisers, bureaucrats, and task completers. With the integration of technology, principals now need to be leaders who have goals, develop new approaches to old problems, are comfortable with high risk and are intuitive and empathetic.
Principals need to form committees that will create a goal or vision of technology. From that vision, a strategy of how to fulfill this vision will is formed and it is presented to the faculty. From there, professional development needs to be implemented to update and inform teachers on how new and improved technology is used. This can be done in a “one-sized fits all” approach or in smaller more specific technology based groups.
I agree that professional development is important to help teachers understand new technology, but as a first year teacher, it would be nice to be brought up to date with what technology is available in the school. I have substituted/student taught in three different schools, which had three different types of technology. The school I current work at has different technology or programs I do not know a lot about. How am I supposed to use what is available if I do not know what is available?
Perry, G.S. & Areglato, R. J. (2001). “The Computers are Here!” Technology In Its Place. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.
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Many schools face this very problem. What technology do we have available to our students and our teachers? How can each technology tool be used to enhance learning and teaching? It could begin with a simple inventory to determine what is available for use by teachers and students. Next, tutorials could be created for teachers and students that can be accessed quickly and easily. If the tutorials do not help...how about a training session. Seems simple enough but again, buy in needs to be there as well as strong leadership for any of these options to be developed and utilized.
I can't help agreeing with you on this idea of the computer lab being pushed into a dark corner. Sometimes the teacher do not even use what they have available. This year in our school they took out computer lab as a special. We now are able to sign up for a lab time. Some teachers do not even use it when they can go almost any time of day. So easy, yet too difficult for the teacher to implement into their curriculum.
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