While parents and communities emphasize the importance of students having access to technology, it is a mistake to focus primarily on students. For the educational enterprise to properly adapt to our new world, we must invest in training teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum. School districts frequently use staff development opportunities to train their teachers to incorporate new technologies; this is a complex process. Traditional technology staff development training involves one day of instruction, including hands-on experience with the software. Most of this training ignores the process of adult development: the need to understand relationships, reinforce concepts with frequent use, explore and be challenged, and conceptualize an entirely different teaching methodology. Districts rarely have support staff available to help teachers work with these innovations. The combination of reluctance, frustration, and inadequate training threatens to sabotage the opportunities for technology to enhance learning in the classroom.
Overcoming technical, economic and psychological barriers requires leadership, vision and commitment. Teachers can take five years to fully integrate technology into their teaching. Researchers have estimated that the cost of training teachers can be much higher than the cost of hardware and software. The commitment to this training must be shared jointly by the teacher and the school district. It is an investment of several thousand dollars per teacher. The initial outlay of time, energy, and money is frightening for an already under-resourced school system, but the return on investment will be well worth the price.
While incorporating technology into the learning process becomes increasingly essential, access to the necessary equipment is limited. Most schools do not fully use modern technology. Although at least three quarters of schools report having sufficient computers and televisions, they do not have the system or building infrastructure to maximize the potential benefit of this equipment. Also, not all students have the same access to educational resources. In general, schools in central cities and schools with a minority population of 50 percent or more are more likely to have insufficient technology resources and a greater number of unsatisfactory environmental conditions, particularly lighting and physical security, than other schools.
This evidence of inadequate infrastructure, technical support systems, and teacher preparation demonstrates that our schools have a long way to go to meet the needs of students in the 21st century. The new schools would likely have:
– flexible learning spaces, including space for large and small group instruction;
– facilities for laboratory science education, including demonstration spaces and student storage for chemicals and other supplies;
– a media center/library with multiple networked computers to access information in external libraries and information sources;
– high-quality computers and networks for educational use;
Students can directly access the latest information from the most sophisticated scientific satellites and participate in interactive “classes” with scientists through interactive multimedia networks. Students can talk to these scientists while watching them on their screens during class, allowing them to take “virtual” field trips around the world. One can only imagine the social impact if this quality of educational experience were available to all students seeking the opportunity.
Another door that technology opens for students is the opportunity to explore real-life situations. Teachers know how to use this technology to enhance students’ understanding of physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and mathematics. Through the manipulation of a series of digital images, students learn to use their own judgment and follow intuitions and ideas; as a result, they find multiple solutions to real problems. Technology can be used as a tool to maintain student interest, simulate real-life situations, and develop students’ skills in math, science, writing, oral communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. Students’ interest remains focused as they use scanners, video cameras, the Internet, and digital cameras as technology tools, allowing them to work on complex projects and learn important concepts.
