Abbey Duncan January 10, 2011 Reflection on “Blood Sweat and TEARS” Is it true through time the barriers facing us in terms of technology remain the same? That even with great advances from pen and paper to resources such as laptops and smart boards teachers are limited> Is it okay that because teachers are limited students are not able to use technology to its fullest potential in the classroom> These questions are simple and are answered through the article by Wesley P. Leggett and Kay A. Perichitte. They using the ideas of Cuban and Schrum came up with TEARS as a common list of things that inhibit students and teachers ability and use of technology in the classroom. The first thing that is discussed is time, or better yet the lack of time and its hindrance on the use of technology. There are many reasons time is interference. Teachers must teach a certain curriculum so that their students are able to pass standardized tests. There is so much that needs to be taught and so many teachers feel restricted to strict lesson plans to make sure that in the allotted time that they have with students they are able to cover all materials that will be on these tests. Teachers are also limited in the time that they have outside of time with their students. Because of this they are unable to attend classes on how to use technology and or work into their lesson plans the use of different devices. I believe that this lack of time is what is inhibiting teachers from using technology in the classroom. If they felt less stress to get so much taught in such a short time period they would feel more comfortable trying new technologies to teach their students in the classroom. But since they have to get so much done so quickly they feel anxiety and do what they are told and how they are told to do it. The next factor that is discussed is expertise. The article discusses how many teachers are not sufficiently trained enough in certain technologies to be able to use or teach students to use such devices. I think that a way to solve the area such as expertise is by making teachers take classes such as this one. I feel that teachers should be at least taught how to use basic technologies that will be seen in the classroom. For example, today all teachers should be trained in how to use a smart board so that they are able to use this if given one in a classroom, and that way they are able to teach students how to use them for things like presentations and activities in the lesson plan. The third factor in the article is access. When they talk about access they are speaking of the availability of technologies in the classroom. The lack of access hinders the use. I believe that each school should give at least access to computers. Then, there should always be availability for students to work in computer labs and for teachers to be able to rent them out for class use. I think that if there are more open labs and availability for teachers to use technology such as open labs they would be more likely to give students projects using technology and or teaching using different technological aids. Another factor discussed is resources. As of right now there is not enough money to supply and back up technologies in the classroom. I think that to find enough funds to pay for this we need to have more people trained in technological support hired in schools to help with technology problems. Also, more funding needs to be spent buying devices. If a school can’t afford the newest of technologies, Mac book Airs, then maybe the schools that can afford them can buy them and the schools that can’t can have the older versions, as long as they are not too out of date. I feel that the government has some level of responsibility to make sure that classrooms have the money to provide students with money to afford technology in the classroom. The last of the issues discussed is support. There includes administrative and technical. This means that there is a lack of computer professionals to help in schools. I think that maybe instead of hiring an additional coach for a football team or club maybe money should be invested to hire people with technology support degrees to work in the school system. I am not saying each school has their own “geek squad” but maybe each district would have a centralized office of computer support that they would be able to send out when there were technology problems. There is also a lack of support to get the ball rolling on making sure technology is in each and every classroom. I think that finding support for this should be easy. People want their students to learn better because it will lead to a “better America’ so if they want this than they should step up and realize the many benefits of technology in the classroom. If people were made aware of these benefits and what it could do to help society and students in the long run I feel that people would jump on the opportunity to help in any way they could whether it be by spending money to buy computers, teaching teachers how to use the technology, and or to get degree so that they would be a part of technological support staffs.
My thoughts
Abbey Duncan
January 10, 2011
Reflection on “Blood Sweat and TEARS”
Is it true through time the barriers facing us in terms of technology remain the same? That even with great advances from pen and paper to resources such as laptops and smart boards teachers are limited> Is it okay that because teachers are limited students are not able to use technology to its fullest potential in the classroom> These questions are simple and are answered through the article by Wesley P. Leggett and Kay A. Perichitte. They using the ideas of Cuban and Schrum came up with TEARS as a common list of things that inhibit students and teachers ability and use of technology in the classroom.
The first thing that is discussed is time, or better yet the lack of time and its hindrance on the use of technology. There are many reasons time is interference. Teachers must teach a certain curriculum so that their students are able to pass standardized tests. There is so much that needs to be taught and so many teachers feel restricted to strict lesson plans to make sure that in the allotted time that they have with students they are able to cover all materials that will be on these tests. Teachers are also limited in the time that they have outside of time with their students. Because of this they are unable to attend classes on how to use technology and or work into their lesson plans the use of different devices. I believe that this lack of time is what is inhibiting teachers from using technology in the classroom. If they felt less stress to get so much taught in such a short time period they would feel more comfortable trying new technologies to teach their students in the classroom. But since they have to get so much done so quickly they feel anxiety and do what they are told and how they are told to do it.
The next factor that is discussed is expertise. The article discusses how many teachers are not sufficiently trained enough in certain technologies to be able to use or teach students to use such devices. I think that a way to solve the area such as expertise is by making teachers take classes such as this one. I feel that teachers should be at least taught how to use basic technologies that will be seen in the classroom. For example, today all teachers should be trained in how to use a smart board so that they are able to use this if given one in a classroom, and that way they are able to teach students how to use them for things like presentations and activities in the lesson plan.
The third factor in the article is access. When they talk about access they are speaking of the availability of technologies in the classroom. The lack of access hinders the use. I believe that each school should give at least access to computers. Then, there should always be availability for students to work in computer labs and for teachers to be able to rent them out for class use. I think that if there are more open labs and availability for teachers to use technology such as open labs they would be more likely to give students projects using technology and or teaching using different technological aids.
Another factor discussed is resources. As of right now there is not enough money to supply and back up technologies in the classroom. I think that to find enough funds to pay for this we need to have more people trained in technological support hired in schools to help with technology problems. Also, more funding needs to be spent buying devices. If a school can’t afford the newest of technologies, Mac book Airs, then maybe the schools that can afford them can buy them and the schools that can’t can have the older versions, as long as they are not too out of date. I feel that the government has some level of responsibility to make sure that classrooms have the money to provide students with money to afford technology in the classroom.
The last of the issues discussed is support. There includes administrative and technical. This means that there is a lack of computer professionals to help in schools. I think that maybe instead of hiring an additional coach for a football team or club maybe money should be invested to hire people with technology support degrees to work in the school system. I am not saying each school has their own “geek squad” but maybe each district would have a centralized office of computer support that they would be able to send out when there were technology problems.
There is also a lack of support to get the ball rolling on making sure technology is in each and every classroom. I think that finding support for this should be easy. People want their students to learn better because it will lead to a “better America’ so if they want this than they should step up and realize the many benefits of technology in the classroom. If people were made aware of these benefits and what it could do to help society and students in the long run I feel that people would jump on the opportunity to help in any way they could whether it be by spending money to buy computers, teaching teachers how to use the technology, and or to get degree so that they would be a part of technological support staffs.