Journal Post # 2

What are some of the barriers to technology use in schools by teachers and students?

 As we look at the widespread use of computers and digital electronics today, many of these devices have already or are beginning to infiltrate the classroom enviornment. Yet, there are still many obstacles and challenges to overcome before "computer-based technologies" are the stars of the classroom.

In the senario with the three students who were studying to be teachers, their discussion of technology presents a real-time debate about some of the concerns that educators are facing today. There are some teachers who are sold on the idea of using technology in the classroom to present highly interactive, inquiry-based learning. Conversely, there are those teachers who seem to be on the left side when it comes to using technology in the classroom, supposing that it may have the potential to trump traditional and fundamental methods of learning. Still, in betwixt these two positions, you have those teachers who seem to hold a neutral position, yet showing some skepticism because of the lack of training with these new technological devices. One of the main challenges then becomes finding some common ground that educators can at least meet on so that they can start tackling those obstacles which are preventing them from using these new technologies.

Some teachers aren't that confident using some of these new digital devices that are on the market today. It's hard to keep up with trying to master one device before you are overwhelmed with trying to learn the basics of a new one that presents itself 2 months later. Furthermore, some of the educators that Marc Prensky described as being "digital immigrants", spend less time with digital devices then do the "digital natives", which he described as those born into the world of new technologies. If you're not that familiar with digital devices, then you're not going to feel confident or comfortable using them as a means of educating your students. Perhaps, some educators will never be sold on the idea of using digital devices in the classroom. "Because of years of experience as students, beginning educators often teach as they were taught." (Maloy, O'Loughlin, Edwards, Woolf , 2014, 2011) As the old cliche goes, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".

Students who grow up facing challenges such as low socio-economic situations definitely have more hurdles to climb than those who come from financially secure homes. Because many of these new technological devices can be pricey, students who can't afford them are less likely to become familiar with how to use them. Then you have those students who have physical disabilities and cannot possible utilize many of these new digital devices. These are at a disadvantage. For an example, a blind student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio sued the university because the new technology used by the school was not conducive enough to provide her with academic equality. (The Associated Press, 2014) So, these are a few of the barriers that many teachers, students, and schools are faced with daily when it comes to utilizing new technologies in the classroom.

Tool Tech link: Apps for Teaching and Learning

Apps, a.k.a., applications are very popular tool today with students and adults alike, especially mobile apps. Many students are spending their time using apps (mostly free apps) to play video games. Many schools are using apps already, such as word processor, to aid students in writing development. How exciting would it be for kids to be able to download mobile apps in their classrooms and access information pertinent to their academic development. As the book mentioned, a poetry app can be accessed to school the students on different genres of poetry while studying about the historical and present impact that poetry in the world.

Summary & Connection
As we move forward with trying to understand educational technology issues and trends, we must be aware that there will always be many obstacles to overcome. With the great digital disconnect that educators and students are experiencing with involving new technologies inside the classroom, teachers must be willing to face these challenges head-on, while constantly looking for new ways to spark the interest of their learners and themselves.

Resources
Edwards, S., Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., & Woolf, B. (2014, 2011). Transforming Learning With 
     New Technologies: Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

The Associated Press, "Miami Herald: Technology", Blind Ohio Student Sues Miami U Over
     Technology. 14 January 2014, Web. 19 January 2014