Each week I am required to write a post for my EDUC 5105 class, so I thought I would take the time to reflect on the use of technology in the classroom for my inaugural post.
The use of technology in higher education is rather, well, appalling. While the pedagogy of implementing technologies has been researched extensively, there does not seem to be any thought given to the actual use of technology in the classroom. One of the primary complaints I’ve seen posted in this class, and others, is that educators do not have enough support when using technology in their classroom. Usually, one tech-expert is shared across as district, and required to service multiple schools. This causes a number of delays, and educators do not get support in a timely fashion.
This said, I think the primary issues stems from the fact that our educators are NOT experts in the technology they are using. The educators are either not given the needed training in the use of the technology, or do not take the time to learn the technology they are using extensively. This leaves them knowing the basics, but not knowing how it truly works. An example I’ll give in my current position, is that I was required to load a Powerpoint on a computer so that a Doctor could give a presentation. This only required me to plug the USB key into the computer, and drag the file to the desktop. However, this is too technically complex for a number of educational experts.
We need to promote and actively encourage educators to master the technology they are using. They will then be able to overcome any technical issue they encounter in the classroom, and thus be able to continue on with their planned lessons in a timely manner. As it stands, no one truly seems to know how to use the technology they’re pushing.