Back in the 1968’s after Christmas break my teacher had a
new machine that would show the book on the wall so we all could see. There were a few brave teachers ready to
tackle the “Opaque Projector,” others felt holding the book was much better
than trying to wrestle that big machine. Today students come to pre-school and
kindergarten versed in technology.
Working as a Assistant Professor in a teacher preparation
program for the past several years, it continues to be hard to get the
pre-service candidates to use technology in their lessons. Just in the last
couple of years I have been able to have all my students bring their laptop or
tablets to class. I have the students use interactive activities in my lessons
and design technology-based activities but when they prepare their lessons for
their clinicals there is very little technology to be found in their lessons.
As I’m out observing in classrooms some teachers use
technology to differentiate their activities for students, while in other classrooms
you won’t see students experiencing technology much at all. How do you get teachers
who are afraid of using technology to move forward? I’m sure they wouldn’t want
to go back to the iceboxes and give up their refrigerator. The youth entering the classrooms today
understand the use of technology in their lives. In fact, they don’t know life
without it.
