I’ve been wrestling with the idea of how to move the whole discussion of technology integration forward. After 10+ years of work in this area I really haven’t seen much change in what people are talking about or how we are looking at this topic. It seems like most are in agreement that technology should be integrated with teaching and learning, but here we are 10 years later and most still aren’t certain about how to proceed. It’s almost as if we’ve all agreed to go to the bus station, but no one is getting on the bus. I, for one, am ready for this adventure to begin!!!
I’ve been/I’m currently trying to clarify and articulate my thoughts about all of this for myself. It was time for my mission statement to be updated…if you will. My plan is to share my thoughts on this topic in a series of posts. Look for them soon…and please share your thoughts and feedback.
There is a big push to develop national standards for different subject areas (math, social studies, etc) and I think technology needs to be associated with standards. Standards should be developed by teachers and teachers should be responsible for overseeing the integration. Otherwise, we will continue to discuss the integration of technology in the classroom for the next ten years with little done. While a little push may be necessary from the outside to get teachers more involved with technology, without their control technology like the computer is bound to meet the same fate as the film, radio, television that came before it (in reference to Larry Cuban’s “Teachers and Machines”).
Building off of what Jenn said, I wonder what would be your markers of progress for the bus leaving the station. Is it a large increase in teachers using technology? Or just a switch in the conversations regarding technology use in the classroom? When reading this post, the thought occurred to me that the progress of technology in education may be slowly taking place as we speak, but is difficult for us to see from our own limited perspectives. If you do not believe this is the case, what sort of things are you looking for to mark progress?
What are the ideas that you propose are waiting for us on the bus. I think it is natural that different educators have different ideas of how and how much technology is incorporated into the classroom. You can argue that we haven’t moved anywhere in the past 10yrs but if the past 10 yrs were necessary to learn what works and what doesn’t through trial & error, that in iteself is getting on the bus & finding a seat in my opinion…
Hey Clif,
My class thinks your infatuation is hilarious. One of my students met Spidermans stunt double.
later.