Many of us use technology in our everyday lives and feel comfortable with it, but how much do we really know? I am seen in my school as being technologically savvy. I thought that my knowledge of technology and how to use it was fairly advanced, but after taking these surveys, I found that my knowledge is very minimal.
I took the Technology Applications Inventory and found myself seriously lacking in all of the four domains given. As I took the survey, I kept stopping and asking my husband "Do I know how to do this?" His response was "Annabell, if you are asking me, you don't know how to do it." Needless to say that I ended up with more nos than yeses. The closest I came to be fairly even in is the Communication Domain. After taking this assessment, I knew that I had much to learn in all four domains.
The second assessment I took was the SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association) Building Survey. I took the Building Survey and not the Teachers version since I am no longer in the classroom. I know that my school has more technology than most schools. Every classroom has four student computers, one teacher computer, and a projector. We also have a computer lab, a cart of Alpha-smart boards, e-instruction systems, smart boards, and lots of software. Even though we have lots of technology, I have realized that it is not utilized to its fullest. We only have a hand full of teachers that use the technology that is available to them in our school.
After taking the surveys I came up with several frightening conclusions. The first one is that I am considered to be an expert on technology on my campus. If this is true and I am lacking much knowledge, then many on my campus are also lacking. The second one is that even though our Principal has made it a point to purchase technological tools for teachers to use, they are not being utilized to their fullest ability.
The staff at my school needs to have more training on technology and how to use it in their classrooms. Their crippling ability or lack of knowledge when it comes to technology is not all their fault. The district has not provided opportunity for staff development in the use of technology and when they do it is limited to a few and in a district as large as our, that is not even a drop in the bucket. At our campus, our principal has arranged for teachers to be trained in the different tools and software that has been purchased, but because of time, the trainings have been few. If we want to teach our students, then we as teachers must take it upon ourselves to become more knowledgeable when it comes to technology.
Teaching Applications Inventory. Retrieved November 2009 from the Texas Education Agency site: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/techapp/assess/teksurv.pdf
SETDA Teacher Survey. Retrieved November 2009 from SETDA Site: http://www.setda-peti.org/tools.html
1 comment:
I think that we are expected to become tech savvy on our own time--I guess during the summer. We all struggle at my school, but we do it together and that helps.
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