Technology in the Classroom

CEP 812

Technology in the classroom- Every teacher is going to have their own opinion on the subject. Whatever your feelings are on tech in the classroom, you can't argue the fact that times are changing. We can either change with the times, or get left behind. Technology is a great resource if used correctly. So how can we make sure all teachers are using tech to its full potential? Well to start, we can look at we teachers are currently doing and examine our community technology integration. We can ask ourselves and fellow community members the following questions:

1) How would I describe our culture of technology integration?
2) How do we know what we know about technology integration? How do we believe knowledge about technology integration is created?
3) As a group, how do we change?

I created a simple technology survey and asked my colleagues and CEP classmates to complete it. I asked baseline questions like, "How long have you been teaching?" and "What do you currently teach?" to learn about my participants. I wondered if new teachers were more likely to add technology in their classroom. I also wondered if grade level had anything to do with technology integration. To my surprise, the 1-2 and 3-5 year teachers had similar responses to the 10 + year teachers. Unfortunately, I only had teachers who taught grades 1-3 respond, so I was unable to factor in grade level.

Once I learned about my participants, I wanted to know about their districts. I wondered if district opinion of tech influenced teacher opinion. I also wondered if teachers want more tech, but do not have the district resources. I posed the question, "Does your district support/supply you with technology?" Everyone said their district supported tech, but there was a split between "tech updated regularly" and "we do not have a lot of tech." I also posed the question, "How do most of your colleagues feel about technology?" All participants said some colleagues were scared or apprehensive about adding tech to the curriculum. 

Now down to business- 
"How often do you use tech in your classroom?"
"What types of technology do you use in your classroom?"
"Do you use the internet to find materials for your classroom?"
Everyone said they use tech daily and use the internet to find materials. Everyone also said they use computers, document cameras, and projectors in their classrooms. Only one other type of tech was used- ipods. 

The infograph shows the last question I posed on my survey: 

Summing it all up:

The results of my survey are very similar to what I see in my community. It seems that districts are focused on technology. Teachers are also adding technology into their classroom and would like more. All participants would like iPads or individual student computers in their classrooms. Based on my survey, some are still apprehensive, but most are on board with the tech movement. I'm excited to see what the future holds for technology in the classroom!