Filmstrips, movie reels, overhead projectors, and transparencies come to mind. These are the "tech gadgets" I recall from my high school days. There isn't a single interactive feature anywhere. It was straightforward. Teachers and professors had to choose between blackboards and overheads, as well as black, blue, or maybe green ink.
We've gone a long way since those days, and new technology has swiftly supplanted the old in many situations. However, there is a vast range of proficiency in terms of educational technology deployment across school districts. One thing is certain: regardless of resources, all school districts have established a set of objectives centered on educational technology. If we are to achieve any of these objectives, we must first comprehend the underlying elements that influence the nature and complexity of a situation. These elements will have an impact on how we approach a challenge and the solutions we use to achieve our objectives.
From a 30,000-foot view, an education technology solution typically consists of three major components: hardware, software, and training (the often forgotten, but many times most important component).
Without the three essential components described above, you will not go very far in today's education technology landscape. These are, however, only the instruments we shall use to achieve our instructional objectives. Even if you put all of the greatest gear, software, and training resources in a room, they won't instantly result in improved test scores, accomplishment, or graduation rates.
You may believe that what I'm about to say next will be about individuals and how they might make a difference. Of course, this is correct, but the real emphasis should be on what these key individuals are doing (or, regrettably, not doing) to help us reach our common educational objectives.
Many of us have lost sight of the word "education" when it comes to educational technologies. Even though it is there in front of our eyes, we continue to forget that this is about properly teaching children and allowing them to attain their full potential.
The following is a summary of some of the most prevalent mistakes that we experience as education technology integrators daily. These are the procedures and actions that are inefficient, ineffectual, or harmful to educational technology objectives https://hub.docker.com/r/lisaatiggs/zin-technologies-zin-has-been-an-incredible-partner-of-mark-nichols.
- Having no objectives, to begin with - This is an all-too-common occurrence. A school district is committed to introducing and/or updating its educational technology resources, but nothing is linked to curricular objectives. Purchasing and installing projectors, interactive whiteboards, response systems, and classroom sound systems, for example, is not the same as implementing a solution. Once the smoke has gone, don't ask yourself, "Now what?" Create a true implementation strategy that is related to long-term educational objectives and state requirements to accomplish this. All of the finest education technology hardware manufacturers have thoroughly examined educational needs and built their solutions to assist schools in achieving these objectives via the usage of their equipment. Ask your technology supplier questions about your educational objectives, and only interact with those who can explain how their solutions will help you achieve your objectives.
- A cookie-cutter approach - Let's provide every classroom and instructor an identical set of digital tools. Let's not stop there; let's do everything at once so that everyone is pleased and no one feels left out. Isn't that correct? Well, not quite. Administrators and technical directors don't want to hear complaints about inequity or establish a haves and have-nots atmosphere, even if it's just for a short time. Would this be a catastrophe, or would it?
Interactive whiteboards, or IWBs, are one of the greatest examples I can think of. These boards are fantastic tools that may significantly improve a learning environment when used correctly, but they are not always a "no brainer" in all learning contexts. Companies like SMART Technologies and Promethean may disagree, but in the end, if their clients' educational objectives are satisfied, it will be a win-win scenario for everyone - particularly the children.
This is a tough tendency to reverse. It's not difficult to see how this happened, given that politics often triumphs over rationality.
Learning activities may differ dramatically from one room to the next and from one topic to the next. Math learning objectives will most likely differ significantly from those in science and foreign language schools. Depending on whether you're working with Physics, Chemistry, or Biology, the science room setting may differ even more.
Variations may be much greater depending on other district-based criteria, room configuration, or an individual teacher's teaching style.
Taking a step back to perform some genuine research and planning may help you and your schools get on the right track when it comes to aligning digital tools with true academic objectives. Saying "we'll figure it out later" increases the likelihood of overlooking a vital necessity.
- Making all choices from the top-down - Not that you'd do it, but too many Tech Directors or IT Managers make district-wide choices without soliciting feedback from technology users Mark Nichols. Teachers, in this situation, would, of course, assist in driving correct criteria from the bottom up, which would complement the judgments made from above. This will undoubtedly take more time and effort, but in the end, it will likely reveal more information and accuracy in your requirements, reducing the danger of missing a need or wasting time and money reworking your first solution in an unforeseen "Phase 2" of your implementation.
- No Training or Professional Development (PD) Plan - You could be fortunate enough to have a true go-getter on your team who grabs the ball and runs with it, in the process of designing your training program. These self-starters certainly exist, but you can't rely on training and professional development to take care of themselves. The full adoption and use of new technological tools involve both planning and administration. If done properly, your educational objectives will be reached, and everyone will look and feel like a champion.
- No metrics - How will you know whether your strategy is working? Establishing a pre-determined technique of assessing performance through a set of well-chosen metrics is an important part of successful planning. Numbers aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm sure they'll be everyone's cup of tea when they conclusively prove that strategy and execution have resulted in success.
- Purchasing exclusively based on price - Hopefully, you have not become utterly cynical about the concept of value. If you take the time to speak with potential salespeople and service providers, you will be offered a broad selection of options. If you want to do the best for your students, you'll need to spend some time determining the exact cost of a solution with just one physical component. You may be doing yourself, your schools, your project team, and your students a big disservice if you base your choice simply on hardware costs. Service, support, training, and professional development will be some of the most critical value differentiators. A good solution supplier will not only sell you the gear but will also help you maintain it. They will consult with you and start a continuous discussion with you and your team to help you achieve your objectives. Many companies have professional Education Consultants on staff who are well-versed in state and federal educational objectives. This also allows you and your team to link educational objectives to classroom utilization of educational technology resources.
- Believing that your planned solution is "good enough" - While this may be true when purchasing a vehicle or a household appliance, where extra money is generally linked with "bells and whistles," a classroom is not about traveling from point A to point B or how white your clothes may be. True classroom acceptance of educational technology may be a difficult aim to achieve, and adoption must be accompanied by tangible benefits such as higher test scores and graduation rates. If you're on a tight budget, I suggest coming up with the greatest solution you can and beginning with one room. If you don't have the finances to finish a full room, do it in stages with the help of your education technology integrator (remember that additional value thing? - a wonderful example). If you follow this procedure over time, you'll wind up having high-quality learning settings in every room, rather than a watered-down "solution" that produces no results.
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