Saturday, July 10, 2010
My wife is a teacher and the one person who is very good at helping me see the opposite side of issues, on which I have strong opinions.
In a debate about the astonishingly low number of teachers using technology, our conversation ultimately turned to blame.
Many teachers are veterans like me (15 or more years in), she pointed out, and they are used to more traditional methods of instruction.
I made the switch from pencil and paper to Internet and Web 2.0, I replied, so why can't other long-time educators?
Most teachers don't have the time to master technology use, she responded. Plus, techies like me create the time, because we use technology and Web 2.0 for things like courses we teach or conferences we attend or blogs we write.
True, but if people like me can create the time and assuming it is agreed that technology in today's classroom is critical, why can't other teachers create the time to learn how to use computers and the Internet in the classroom, I wondered.
When, during their summer breaks?
Okay, I had to submit to that one. We need to decompress in our time away from school.
So, maybe the blame lies with administration. Shouldn't professional development opportunities for intense Web 2.0 training be provided during the school year?
If so, my wife countered, at the expense of what other training?
Eventually, I had to admit that this issue may not be as black and white as I like to think.
So, I continued to wonder, just who is to blame for the lack of technology use in education?
