Different devices/operating systems/tools: I think it is important to cover standards and to make sure the “what” of teaching is similar from classroom to classroom, but I believe it is just as important to keep the “how” of teaching open and up to the educator. This should be the same with the technology. How we choose to embed it and which tools we choose to use will be different depending on our teaching style. Because of the differences in our choices, it can lead to us figuring things out on our own. We used to have tech support staff in our district at every building who could support our choices and exploration with technology, but that is not the case any longer. Even when districts/schools mandate certain technology programs and devices, the manner of which teachers use them are so varied. Often, we are not supported with district PD when new technology tools are introduced, so we’re left again to self-explore or get PD from our colleagues.
Bandwidth: We now have up and running 1:1 laptops for all 6th-12th graders in our district, laptops for all staff, iPad Minis for K-2 teachers for the reading 3D initiative, multiple laptop carts, computer labs, iPod Touches, and other devices that are throughout the district. All of these devices operating at the same time throughout the school-day is slowing our server and causing interruption in device use. The district keeps increasing our bandwidth, but we are also increasing the amount of devices each year. We run into connection problems and must always be ready for back-up to our 1:1 lessons. This becomes frustrating for teachers new to 1:1 and they feel way create the lessons if they know they need a back-up anyway?
Uncertainty: We rolled out the the 1:1 laptops for 6th through 12th graders last year, with the knowledge that this year the initiative would roll out for 3rd-5th graders. Then, eventually devices would roll out for K-2 for a full district 1:1 implementation. However, when the 1:1 rolled out for 6th-12th graders, many teachers were left with questions and felt unsupported and confused about how to use huge gift/tool effectively. Instead of rolling things out little by little with tons of support and teachers using one another to watch spotlight lessons and classrooms, everything pushed out all at once and very close to the beginning of the school year. Now, it is time for 3rd-5th graders to get their devices for the school year starting in August, but we are left with many questions: who will support device usage and maintenance? are students getting laptops or tablets? will they keep their devices at school? and, are they even getting devices this year now that we’re so late into summer and still haven’t heard anything? I believe that uncertainty in schools and districts is the greatest hinderance to teachers leveraging technology in their classrooms.
4 thoughts on “Challenges to Utilizing Technology”
dpodgorny
Hello Katie,
Nice succinct summary of three technology issues.
Question – what useful resources have you received or what trainings have you found most useful for the one-to-one laptop initiative?
Going from being the one person in the classroom with a computer (teacher) to everyone have a computer is a BIG switch. We had a roll out of laptops, first for sixth grade, then seventh, then eighth, then ninth graders but next year all high schoolers will have laptops. There were too many classes at the high schools in which only a handful of students had laptops (i.e. the ninth graders).
Some of my first tips would be:
1) include computer management in your classroom management (when they can be open, when they need to be half-shut or at an angle, how to keep them charged, when to boot them up to have them ready, what should students do who don’t have a computer, etc.)
2) teach students how to organize folders on their laptops / google docs for your class according to the way you would tell them to organize a three ring binder for your class
3) find useful activities for the computers that: a) permit collaboration with other students, b) permit them to access the internet for sites that give students immediate feedback on correctness of facts (digital replacement for worksheets, activities that need teachers to grade them and that students have to wait to find out if they are right or wrong), c) permit differentiation, d) permit students to create projects that demonstrate understanding, analysis, comparison, mastery, e) permit self-paced learning (introductions to a new topic, remediation and / or review, etc.). f) permit students to search from new information and deeper learning of the current topic.
I am sure there is a lot more to add. What would you list?
kphelpsPost author
The most beneficial training was a Skype session with another district who had rolled out 1:1 laptops 3 years ago. It was helpful to hear what they went through and what they learned. However, this Skype session was only for people on the technology committee at district level, so it wasn’t something made available to all teachers.
I love your list of tips and am excited to share those with the tech committee and with other teachers. I think I would add the need of a “what to do if this happens” doc for teachers. It should supply a list of quick remedies/solutions for technology issues that may occur so that teachers don’t feel like they have to wait fo IT/help desk. Often times there are such small fixes that a teacher could do to keep things moving with their technology and lessons, they just are not familiar enough with the devices to know what those fixes are.
brhew
I totaly understand where you are coming from. Our district bout new laptop carts for science teachers but forgot to update the bandwidth to support them. They literally set in the cart for a month before we could use them. I also run into the problem of students being on such different levels with their technology experience. It does make it hard to complete an activity when you are so paced out and you have to move on to the next topic.
asolano
Well said. And your well-thought out comments drew some discussion from your cohort. We hope you all will continue to find these blogs as a great place to communicate and exchange ideas.
Hello Katie,
Nice succinct summary of three technology issues.
Question – what useful resources have you received or what trainings have you found most useful for the one-to-one laptop initiative?
Going from being the one person in the classroom with a computer (teacher) to everyone have a computer is a BIG switch. We had a roll out of laptops, first for sixth grade, then seventh, then eighth, then ninth graders but next year all high schoolers will have laptops. There were too many classes at the high schools in which only a handful of students had laptops (i.e. the ninth graders).
Some of my first tips would be:
1) include computer management in your classroom management (when they can be open, when they need to be half-shut or at an angle, how to keep them charged, when to boot them up to have them ready, what should students do who don’t have a computer, etc.)
2) teach students how to organize folders on their laptops / google docs for your class according to the way you would tell them to organize a three ring binder for your class
3) find useful activities for the computers that: a) permit collaboration with other students, b) permit them to access the internet for sites that give students immediate feedback on correctness of facts (digital replacement for worksheets, activities that need teachers to grade them and that students have to wait to find out if they are right or wrong), c) permit differentiation, d) permit students to create projects that demonstrate understanding, analysis, comparison, mastery, e) permit self-paced learning (introductions to a new topic, remediation and / or review, etc.). f) permit students to search from new information and deeper learning of the current topic.
I am sure there is a lot more to add. What would you list?
The most beneficial training was a Skype session with another district who had rolled out 1:1 laptops 3 years ago. It was helpful to hear what they went through and what they learned. However, this Skype session was only for people on the technology committee at district level, so it wasn’t something made available to all teachers.
I love your list of tips and am excited to share those with the tech committee and with other teachers. I think I would add the need of a “what to do if this happens” doc for teachers. It should supply a list of quick remedies/solutions for technology issues that may occur so that teachers don’t feel like they have to wait fo IT/help desk. Often times there are such small fixes that a teacher could do to keep things moving with their technology and lessons, they just are not familiar enough with the devices to know what those fixes are.
I totaly understand where you are coming from. Our district bout new laptop carts for science teachers but forgot to update the bandwidth to support them. They literally set in the cart for a month before we could use them. I also run into the problem of students being on such different levels with their technology experience. It does make it hard to complete an activity when you are so paced out and you have to move on to the next topic.
Well said. And your well-thought out comments drew some discussion from your cohort. We hope you all will continue to find these blogs as a great place to communicate and exchange ideas.
Amneris