The idea of interweaving technology into education is hardly novel, however, it appears to cropping up with increasing frequency since the beginning of this class. The only problem I have with the infusion of greater technology into the classroom is that it seems to be superimposed on teachers, without the requisite training. More and more, I'm hearing tales from teachers who are being asked to venture outside their comfort zone to create lessons and provide alternative programs for students which reflect technological savvy. This is not necessarily bad, however, sometimes adequate training for teachers is needed in order to accommodate these requests. A friend from Los Angeles recently recounted to me how she was in a meeting with her vice-principal and a parent and was asked to create a series of quizzes for a student who has a chronic illness. She was bemused, because she didn't know how to begin putting that together. According to her, when she expressed her ignorance to the VP, he told her to check with the IT person who comes to campus once per week (Wednesday's). Without providing all the details, suffice it to say that there was a disconnect between the IT guy and my friend, and when the VP followed up with her, he was quite dismayed to learn there had been little progress in providing the online tests for the infirm student. I think the suggestion to make adaptations for this student was dynamic and appropriate. The problem was that the teacher had not been given the needed tools to discharge that task prior to the suggestion. Maybe, the VP should have coordinated a short training between the IT person and my friend, as his "suggestion" would have likely carried more weight.
As an aside, it would be wonderful if a system similar to Blackboard were available where I work (cost notwithstanding). This could serve as a repository for assignments, announcements and tests. Just a thought.
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