Technology in the Classroom

“In 1992, the U.S. Department of Labor’s SCANS report noted that at least 80% of all jobs in the next two decades would require workers to be technologically fluent. This means if workers are not well prepared in using technology to succeed in the workplace, they will be forced to take low-paying jobs with limited potential for advancement.” (Swain and Edyburn, 2007) As teachers this statistic alone should inspire all teachers to use technology in the classroom. The primary goal for teachers is to prepare our students to be effective members of society. In today’s world if student are not fluent with technology they will not be able to succeed in most careers.

“Even if an incoming freshman is highly gifted, if he or she is not extremely familiar with using technology in the learning environment, that student is at a decided disadvantage the second he or she steps onto the university or college campus.” (Swain and Edyburn, 2007) All teachers promote that their students should continue their education. The first year of college is incredibly overwhelming and many students choose not to return after their freshman year. This might always be a problem that students face, however if middle and high school teachers prepare students not only academically but also technologically, they might increase the odds of those students staying in college.

As a recent college graduate, I faced many battles with technology. I graduated from a small rural high school that did not have the funding to promote technology. Even during my senior year it was still acceptable to turn in final hand written papers because the teachers could not expect that all their students had computer access at home. When I entered college I immediately was faced with teacher websites, WebCT or BlackBoard, online classes and electronically submitted work. I was completely overwhelmed and only survived by making friends with technologically gifted students. If my high school had prepared me for this atmosphere I would have had a more successful freshman year.

However, my high school could not do that. They did not have the funding to equip the school with computer labs or multi-media classrooms. So how can we truly expect teachers to use technology with their students if we cannot guaranty that all school children will be provided equal opportunities to use technology? As a teacher “… you can find out discreetly which of your students do and do not have access to computers and the Internet at home and then point those who lack these resources to places in the community where they can turn to gain better access (e.g., public library, community technology center, Boys and Girls Club).”(Swain and Edyburn, 2007) This is an excellent solution to some children’s lack of technology in the home. However, it still does not provide transportation to and from these locations.

I believe that as future teachers we will see dramatic differences in the use of technology in our careers. We all recognize the importance of technology but it might not be realistic for all of use to have access to the latest and greatest technology in our first teaching position. What we can do is be strong advocates for the use of technology in our schools. We can work on writing technology grants for our schools, but most importantly we can make the best of the resources that we are provided.