Where's the Technology?

I'm seeing less and less use of technology in education. Fewer teachers are adding technology to their repertory in spite of the very positive research. We have seen how technology has enhanced other professions, moved them beyond where they were, and provided new possibilities to those industries.



The use of the net in schools has been hampered by fears of abuse like pornography, trolling, and bullying. These are not unique to the net, in fact these vices have always existed and they haven't stopped any other media fro existing as they have hampered the growth and use of the net in schools.

Consider how we in our schools spend a great deal of time having our scholars put away their technology. They are using technology to read and to write and yet their teachers are not using the technology to have them read and write. I don't get it. Instead we push, force, coerce our scholars to do things against their nature and why? Because that way is against the grain of most teachers. Whenever a teacher brings a class into the computer lab, s/he always is amazed at how on task, how productive, how motivated to accomplish the work the scholars are. And yet, these same teachers continue to work too hard with too little results the old fashioned way.

As I have said I don't get it. More can be done in the computer classroom. The scholars are all on task, they are collaborating, they are using more habits of mind and skills, they are having better results, they are learning more. The problem may be that teachers do not feel as needed and not the center of attention when in the computer lab. However, they can do so much more conferencing and teaching. As the scholars are working, the teacher can move from scholar to scholar and teach or conference. The scholars have the work right there in front of them and now the teacher has many teachable moments. These teaching moments are relevant because the current work is used and will be relevant to the scholar right now as this is where they are right now.

As a parent, I question why my child's teachers don't have a web presence so I know what is going on, have access to classwork, forms, and resources from home. Before I go to my doctor, I'm able to do some research online. Before I visit my lawyer, I have access to do some research. Before I visit my child's teacher for such limited time, I should have access to what is going on so our meetings can be more ]productive. Too much time is wasted in the teacher explaining what is going on and then our time is up. Too little time is spent on the child. I know the parents of my scholars know what is going on in their child's class because they come to our meetings prepared.

I don't get it, why teachers are so reluctant in using the technology. I have heard it said technology makes a good teachers better, so why don't more teachers use the technology?