So this topic actually touches on a hobby of mine- armchair critiquing of technology implementations in large institutions! I have had a couple of diet pepsis and a coffee as I write this, so this journey could get real interesting real quick. Let's see where this goes.
To kick things off, it should be noted that my placement actually has a vast array of technology available for both students and staff, and, with the exception of the Promethean boards (I have never really been sold on the value-add of those over a simple projector screen- I mean sure, you could have students experience the pain and frustration of using 90's ATM touch-screens while trying to teach historical concepts, but why would you?) But anyway, I digress. With the exception of the boards-which-shall-not-be-named, the technology in my placement seems to all have a purpose, and be reasonably well supported by the district IT department. As a district, we use Google Apps (google hosted email, google docs, sheets, presentations and calendar), which means that for the most part, email and other things function as expected. For staff, we have pretty much full access to the web, including YouTube, which has proved indispensable to my mentor teacher on numerous occasions. Twitter and Facebook are not supported (i.e. they're blocked) , but hey Google+ works just fine, so, well, there you go, When it comes to the students, I have noted that their email is, while still Google Apps, hosted on a different domain (.net vs. .org), and has additional restrictions, such as YouTube blocking. When it comes to students working with computers, I have found that, while plentiful, computer access is not terribly convenient on a day-to-day basis, requiring teachers to plan ahead and sign out either a Chromebook cart, the library, one of the Windows-based computer labs, or the single Chromebook lab. As a result, while there is a lot of tech in the school, the day to day usage is mostly restricted to teachers, and using smart boards for instruction.
In the end, while the attitude of tech acceptance is encouraging, I can't help but feel that to a certain extent "technology" is simply the latest buzz-word, and a way for schools to remind everyone that they are relevant and keeping up with the times. If so, this enthusiasm for technology will eventually fade (but not disappear), eventually simply becoming an unremarkable part of everyday classroom instruction, rather than a separate topic unto itself. And, as much of a tech fan as I am, I think that can only be a good thing.
Mark, I completely agree! I see technology in my placement that is not really being used to its full potential. The use of computers have mostly consisted of student following instructions on a worksheet where they visit a website, and find information to answer the questions on the worksheet. No creativity is encouraged in any of the assignments. This is really disappointing because the art in the hallways are proof that there is a lot of creativity and talent flowing through those students' veins!
ReplyDeletep.s. I have also always hated those smart board. They are probably one of the worst tools that could be imposed on a teacher. I am just glad I haven't had to deal with them too extensively yet :)