One of the many critical issues that teachers face today is promoting technology use in the classroom. The reasons why technology is often neglected in the classroom are lack of funding and/or professional development. But when does it become the teacher’s job to integrate technology?

Teachers are often too overwhelmed by their many duties and lack of planning time to implement new technology into their current curricula. However, it is essentially the classroom teacher’s job to create the best learning environment for students in the 21^st century. They are the ones who interact and connect with students on a daily basis, so it their duty to provide them with the most modern and up to date instruction as possible. If the proper technology has been implemented, it is the teacher’s role to integrate it into their lessons.

Teachers need to realize that technology can no longer just be considered a separate course but it must be integrated into all subject areas in order to enhance learning and keep up with a changing world (Fryer, 2007). Teachers also need to understand that teaching in a lecture-based classroom is no longer realistic or effective (Gahala, 2001).  Educators have to promote self-discovery, and that is now easier than ever before.

            It is difficult for teachers who are accustomed to lecturing to change into facilitators of learning. According to Kozma and Schank (1998), "Teachers must become comfortable letting students move into domains of knowledge where they themselves lack expertise, and they must be able to model their own learning process when they encounter phenomena they do not understand or questions they cannot answer."

Teachers can promote and expose their students to technology in a variety of ways. First, teachers should familiarize themselves with both the national technology standards for both students and teachers. Teachers should also start by visiting other schools and classrooms to see how technology has been incorporated effectively into the curriculum. If the classroom technology is limited, teachers should develop teaching strategies that involve small groups of students at different learning stations. Teachers should also develop their own professional development plans and actively participate in development activities both provided by their districts and outside of their districts. Teachers should surf various websites for instructional and interactive activities. Teachers should also design class projects in which students use technology for research, design, and data synthesis. Class projects should focus on authentic uses of technology for real-world application in the classroom (Gahala, 2007).

Although many teachers often have a lack of resources and support from administration, it remains the classroom teacher’s primary goal to create an optimum learning environment for students. It is time that teachers embrace technology and implement it to the best of their abilities so that students can learn in a classroom that best fits their learning style and their futures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

Fryer, Wesley. Techlearning blog. http://www.techlearning.com/blog/2007/03/intelligently_promoting_techno.php

 

Gahala, Jan. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

 

Kozma, Robert & Schank. Connecting with the twenty-first century: technology in support of educational reform.