WELCOME

Welcome to the beginning of my e-portfolio which will be used to demonstrate my learning through Boise State University’s Masters of Ed Technology program. Here, I will keep samples of work and reflections as I complete each online course.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Obstacles and Solutions for Integrating Technology in the Classroom

In my experience as an education technologist, I have seen many obstacles and solutions for integrating technology in the classroom.  I believe the biggest obstacle is training and support for teachers.  Teachers will resist and be apprehensive about using technology if they are not comfortable using it.  Often times, educators are given new technologies and told to integrate them, but are not given proper training in order to do so.  Some educators will take to time to teach themselves, while others will not. 

The solution to this obstacle is time, training and support for educators.  Along with training, teachers must be given time to re-design lessons as well as time to practice using the new technology.  When I have surveyed teachers about utilizing new technology, the largest complaint was that they felt they needed additional time. They want time for online research (to search for resources), time for training, time for practice, time to collaborate and share ideas with their peers, and time to prepare new technology rich lessons. 

Additionally, ongoing support must be provided. Teachers will run into problems with the technology (because technology doesn't always behave as it is supposed to) and if timely support is not available, they will discontinue its use.  This solution may not be easy, but I believe it is necessary for technology integration to be successful. 


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