One explanation of adolescents’ lack of digital production, at least in American schools, is that while 66% of teachers reported employing digital media tools and 46% reported using digital resources in their teaching, this still means that students in one third of classrooms are not experiencing use of digital media tools and not using digital resources in about one half of classrooms (Project Tomorrow, 2010).
I think that this is an amazing fact. We know that a lot of students don’t get the technology in the classroom but I didn’t realize the numbers were so bad. I wonder if it is because of the lack of funding and the teachers don’t have the tools to work with or if they have the tools but either choose not to or don’t know how to. I would imagine that older teachers that graduated a long time ago probably don’t have the technology knowledge that some of the younger ones might have. I know that in the state of WV to renew your teaching license the WVDE is requiring teachers to have an Instructional Technology course as part of their renewal. That hopefully will help some.
Project Tomorrow (2010). Speak Up 2009: Unleashing the future: educators “speak up” about the use of emerging technologies for learning. Irving, CA: Project Tomorrow. Retrieved October 16, 2010 from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup.
Common Core State Standards Initiative
Common core state standards initiative. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/
In the article, the author referred to the Common Core State Standards. This is the information I found on these standards.
I know that in many schools in this area, they not only don't have the money for the technology resources, but many don't have anyone in the school who is qualified to support the teachers' technology needs. Many of the schools have eliminated their TIS positions in the last couple of years, so even when teachers have access to the technology, they often don't have anyone to go to for help in using it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information regarding the renewal of a teaching license. I had no idea that the state is requiring an instructional tech. class! Great!
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that they have the tech class as part of the renewal for a teaching certificate; however, I do wish they were more vocal about it. It's written in the fine print on the back of the certificate (which no one ever reads). But, maybe they did and I didn't catch it.
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