Nature of Technology Adoption

I believe there are several barriers to the widespread use of technology in our K-12 local public schools. The first is probably the most obvious: technology can be very expensive and schools have limited finances. The second barrier is the lack of time in teachers’ schedules to explore new options. The third barrier is related to the second: teachers often prefer to stick with tried and true methods and aren’t willing to be innovative. A fourth barrier could be the lack of support on an administrative or a community level, although I don’t see that in my local school system.

To break down these barriers, there are several things that can be done. In my local school system, not only has money been set aside in the budget for technology implementation but each school has a community-based fund raising organization specifically for purchasing technology. Volunteers can help teachers with copying, etc., to allow them more time to explore new options.  Professional development can be implemented to help enlarge teachers’ vision for the possibilities available.

I have seen great strides in technology implementation in the three years I have been substituting in my local schools. The state has mandated certain levels of technology, but the community wants to see this development, too, so it has steadily improved.