We currently live in a society where technology is becoming a major part of every individual's life, like it or not. Having read the Pew Research Center’s survey, “How Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms.” I was not surprised with what the survey indicated. A staggering 92% of AP and NWP teachers stated the internet has a major impact on their ability to access content, resources and materials for teaching. This come as no surprise as the global wed is an enormous source for information and data that everyone is free to tap into and use to their benefit. What I personally did find surprising is how teachers of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds experience the impact of technology differently. 70% of teachers who teach in high income area schools stated the schools did a “good job” providing digital tools in the classroom and only 50% of teachers in low income areas schools could say the same. I understand that not every school has the same economic standing however, I believe every student deserves a fair and equal education no matter what their socioeconomic standing. Overall in my opinion this survey was quite informative and gave me something to think about in the aspect of technology. Many older generations and even parents of immigrant children (which make up a the major diversity in the United States) see technology as a negative due to the fact they themselves have never been exposed to it. Technology is a great tool available to help everyone in so many aspects to move forward and succeed.
Though I personally am not a teacher yet, I would “rate” myself in with the teachers who are strong and confident with the use of technology. Being a 23 year old Masters student I am exposed to technology on a daily basis and try to keep up with all the new technologies as they arise. I use the internet for my biological research, create power points when asked to present information, and I often carry out online discussions with fellow classmates on topics of interests in class. All these aspects of technology would make up my strengths in the field of technology and computers.
In the aspect of accuracy I found this survey to correlate with personal education experiences when it comes to teachers age and their technology confidence. The survey indicated 64% of teachers (under 35) and 44% of teachers (over 55) describe themselves as “very confident” with using new Digital technologies. This ties back to how older generations view of technology. With technology booming in the last decade older generation teachers have had a difficult time adjusting to the new fast pasted world (this does not apply to all teachers 55 and over). I have personally experienced this as a student in the classroom simply through teachers who use power point presentation in their lecture and excel for their grades (younger generation professor) vs teachers who still hand write notes on the board and enter grades by hand into a grade books (older generation professor). Technology is here to make our lives easier and many younger generation teachers are taking advantage as seen through this survey.
From the perspective of a student, did you find it helpful to have a teacher who used excel and powerpoint? I sometimes prefer a more traditional approach because it forces me to write longhand and I remember the information better that way.
ReplyDeletePersonally, yes as a biology student for my undergrad I did find it helpful when teachers used power points for their lectures. I found it helpful because it allowed me to be able to listen to the professor and keep up with the lecture more efficiently. I would print the power point slides, bring them to class and follow along with the professor. I would write in specific details and information the professor mentioned in class on top of the slides. Like you, I remember things better when I write them down however with biology being so content and detail heavy there is no way I could keep up with everything if I did not have the slides with me. Hence, I find power point not only efficient for teachers as it helps the lesson go smoother with all the information being provided on slides but also for students (that is if they used the slides for their advantage).
DeleteI completely agree with you in regards to not everyone having the same exposure to technology because of socioeconomic statuses. It's very saddening that our education system and government can't find ways to make every district equal when it comes to this. Forget that at home the student may not have access, however at school they should continuously be exposed and educated on how to utilize technology since it's always going to be around.
ReplyDeleteI like your point regarding both teachers and parents of immigrant children and their struggles with technology. We often overlook all of the learning a child does at home, and instead are only focusing on their teachers, not all of their educators which includes parents. I know some towns run technology classes and seminars aimed at adult learners which would be very helpful in this situation, as a parent who better understands the technology their children are using will be better able to assist with any issues they may have.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to comment about her incorporation of immigrant parents and older generational points of view on technology, but Joseph, you also raise a valid point about parental involvement in student learning. If we have parents who are confused by technology and see it as a negative it can impede of their child's learning, so it should be a priority for us, as (future) teachers, to ensure these parents have the proper background knowledge to support their kids. As a child of an immigrant parent, I know I struggled with not having support at home with all of the assignments I was getting that were web-based.
DeleteMy original thought after reading the response however, was about immigrant parents specifically because a lot of them probably fall in the low-income category as well. So is it that these people are simply pessimistically viewing technology, or is it that they don't have the means or education to know any better?
I agree that the disparity in the impact of technology on students with different socioeconomic backgrounds was surprising, especially since almost all of the teachers surveyed were public school teachers. I think it would be less surprising if a bigger portion of the sample size were private school teachers, since they may have money coming in from private donors. However, public schools should make digital tools readily available to every student so that they are not at a disadvantage when they get to college.
ReplyDeleteIwona,
ReplyDeleteYour post offers very detailed insights into the Pew survey results. Certainly, most glaring, is the digital divide that is present between poor and affluent districts, and how that disparity affects teachers and their practices.
Affluent school districts in New Jersey have tremendous resources--both for students in school and at home. On the flipside, many of these districts are a stone’s throw away from high poverty districts that offer very little in the way of technology access. How can these disparities be changed? Certainly there are no easy answers.