Mrs. Mess’s Blog

Is technology the answer?

It is no secret that schools over the past fifteen years have become more acutely aware of the need to improve access to technology in the buildings.   Millions of dollars are spent each year on everything from computers to smartboards.   But does throwing money into the technological infrastructure really improve instruction?  The answer is a resounding NO!  If teachers are not trained on hardware and software, what sense does it make to purchase it?   Instructional leaders need to realize that technology integration does not just mean buying five digital cameras, a computer, printer, and scanner for each classroom, and a handful of software programs.   These all become very expensive paperweights if the proper training does not accompany it. 

Teachers need more than one introductory in-service on how to use a software program or how to operate hardware.  If the educational system expects teachers to improve their technology literacy, the schools need to provide support.  Many of the teachers in the
US school system were not raised during the digital age.   Because of this, teachers are forced to play catch up.   Teacher training programs up until the past two or three years didn’t even require a educational technology course.  So many teachers have had to teach themselves how to use various computer programs, etc…  As technology becomes more elaborate, the fear factor for many people increases.  School districts across the
US have started offering in-service training in order to get teachers familiar with new technology.  The problem is that these classes are often attended by entire faculties or grade levels.  With so many people, it becomes increasingly difficult to provide the individual attention necessary to really achieve competency.   In addition to the size of in-service training classes, the frequency in which they occur is also a problem.  Most people will forget what they learned during training if they are not constantly using it.  There needs to be continued in school support for technology integration. 

 Once school districts wake up and put both the infrastructure and the training in place, it will be more likely that technology will begin to have an impact on instructional practices.   We can no longer stick our heads in the sand and pretend that technology is not important to the success of our students.  Most of the kids today were born with a cell phone in their hand.  They have been raised in the digital age and use various forms of technology on a daily basis.  It is our job as teachers to catch up to them, but show them how technology can be used for improving their educational experience.    

Why has teaching not achieved the professional status other careers have?

One reason, I have found, is that everyone thinks they can be a teacher.  Not everyone thinks they can be a doctor or a lawyer.  Because most people spend thirteen years of their lives in a classroom, many feel that they are capable of performing the job of a teacher.   It is often viewed as a mindless due to the nature of the material being taught.  Adults should be able to handle the curriculum a teacher has to present since they all sat through it at some point in their own educational career.  Very few people realize the hard part isn’t the material itself, but the presentation of the material.   Here in lies the aspect of the profession many outsiders never consider. 

There are also other factors to consider.  Because the teaching does not exhibit characteristics of other professions, society tends to assign it a lesser status.   Professions that are viewed as prestigious, like doctors and lawyers, work year round, take part in research practices, conduct peer reviews, require additional schooling, and are paid significantly more money.    In order to improve their teaching, teachers have to attend in-service workshops where educational experts are “feeding” them the prescription being advocated at the time.  Very rarely are teachers actually the experts themselves.  Schools do not encourage teachers to take an active role in research.  If they did, the entire system would work very differently.   Why aren’t teachers allowed to figure out what the solutions are to their problems?  Giving hours of training on something that hasn’t been proven to work is useless.  Action research enables the teacher to take a very specific problem experienced in the classroom and come up with their own ideas of how to improve the situation.  The process would be even more efficient if teachers were able to collaborate on action research within their educational setting.  This may be one way to improve the status of the teaching profession.  But when would teachers conduct the action research?  After all teachers are already spending anywhere from ten to twelve hours a day trying to keep up with grading and planning, not to mention all of the other duties that come along with the job.   There is little trust of teaching in our society.  Failing tests scores published across the nation blame teachers.   But are teachers really to blame?  It seems to me that the issue is not the teachers, but how they teach.  Teaching is the problem in this country not the teachers.  Teachers are not given the adequate resources to be able to improve their teaching.  This is not true of other more “elite” professions.  When was the last time the medical field complained of not having adequate funding?    So many people think that bringing in an educational expert to present a two hour presentation on how to improve teaching is helpful.  It is not….at all!    Teachers need to be solving problems that are immediate and meaningful to them.  Schools have to be willing to see this and provide teachers with time and resources to accomplish the goals.