At my current school, technology resources in the Upper School (6th – 8th grade) is extensive; however, I have found that the teachers have received technology that they have not been properly trained to use, or they have built their curriculum already and do not want to change it to utilize the new technology. I have seen Smartboards used as glorified projectors, and iPads used simply for viewing presentations. In the article, “Barriers to teachers’ technology use,” Serhat Kurt and Muhammed Ciftci describe the biggest obstacles for teachers are “teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills, and not enough training opportunities for teachers” (p. 226).
While the resources are becoming more available for teachers now, I look for the training for teachers to gradually increase in the coming 5 – 10 years. This means that teachers will learn how to use discussion boards, vlogs, apps, etc… in order to meet the needs of a problem/project based classroom. Through Carolyn Thorsen’s text, we can see that technology has not only grown, but it has become more accessible. It is in the best interest of the students and the teachers to learn how to build curriculum that allows for significant interaction from the students through the use of technology.
Ciftci, M., & Kurt, S. (2012). Barriers to teachers' use of technology. International Journal of
Instructional Media, 39(3), 225.
Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?
id=GALE%7CA298171661&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=
bf09ee1e1c7d27a95aafe8140ed64fc1
Thorsen, C. (2009).
TechTactics: Technology for Teachers (3 ed.). Boston: Pearson
