Dicussion Questions for 9/19

1.)    How do you prepare today’s teachers to be proficient and aware of utilizing technology in the classroom?

The article found that a proficient, compatible, and aware teacher had the most influence on whether technology innovation in the classroom was successful.  If this is the most successful reason for integrating technology into instruction, what are colleges and schools doing today to provide the knowledge and environments necessary for a teacher to attain these abilities?

2.)    How do you encourage a paradigm shift of instruction without technology to instruction with technology?

Still focusing on the teacher, it is possible teachers have become “set in their ways” to a certain extent.  This is to say, they have been instructing without technology for years, so why should things be different now?  This barrier would seem harder to overcome as experience of the teacher progresses.  How do you bridge these instructional paradigms?

3.)    How can administrators act as a liaison between teachers and the resources needed to support a technology project?

If you have motivated teachers that want to implement technology in their instruction, how much involvement should the administrator have?  Should the administrator take a active role with the project, or should they stay back and offer guidance as necessary?  On one hand, administrators should encourage a sense of personal responsibility of the project for the teacher; on the other hand, projects should be monitored to ensure successful completion.  How can you strike this balance?

4.)    How can teachers transition into using technology?

A sudden shift from little to no technology in instruction to a successful integration can have a disruption in the classroom.  How do you define the gray area in between to not disrupt classroom instruction?

5.)    How does technology support student achievement?

Expectations have been developed by today’s employers that new hires will have a grasp of computer skills.  Is student achievement measured by how well they can utilize technology?  How can teachers know that skills have been developed and mastered?