Educators told they need to keep up
"Technology has changed the face of education forever," said Brenda Hales, Utah State Office of Education associate superintendent for student achievement and school success. She addressed the public education appropriations subcommittee and the State Board of Education during a joint meeting at Iron Springs Elementary School in Cedar City on Friday.
Educators need to use 21st century tools in effectively teaching children, agreed Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper. "We have found there is a reluctance to adopt new technology," he said, adding an incentive would help.
Hales says she wants teachers to be familiar with technology and feel as comfortable as she did with her tools of the trade — chalk and pencil — when she was a teacher more than 30 years ago.
To get to that level, the educators are going to need training. "Practices are changing rapidly," she said.
Stephenson said the world has gone high-tech and educators had better keep up.
"And yet we find that exact 19th century stuff happening in our schools," Stephenson said. "Why is that? Why are you happy in the 19th century?"
Stephenson added if companies don't keep up with technology, they end up going out of business. But education can't go out of business.
Some teachers say they don't want to learn technology. They're mid-career or at the end of their career, he said. "It seems to me, they need to go out of business — or something needs to happen to give them a different opportunity than they currently have, if they're not willing to step up and use technology effectively," Stephenson said.
Hales said, "The time to start making the change was yesterday."
Board member Debra Roberts, of Beaver, said she believes some teachers just can't see "how technology can make them a better teacher." Roberts added it's not age — it's personality — that is the roadblock for educators. Some teachers are "just gobbling it up."
Smart Boards, or interactive whiteboards, are one example of technology that teachers are beginning to use in the classroom. Connected to a computer and projector, the board is like a huge computer screen in front of the class.
Iron Springs Elementary Principal Deon Goshorn told the group that the school is getting nine Smart Boards for fall. Training will be in August for her teachers. "They are not at all afraid of technology," she said. "The biggest problem is finding professional development."
Recent comments
i have had all that training. came back to my school and had little...
jr. high journeyman | July 21, 2008 at 1:41 p.m.
I love using and learning about new technology to enhance the learning...
RoyAnn | July 19, 2008 at 5:50 p.m.
typical ... make rules and assignments but dont provide the tools...
randy | July 17, 2008 at 12:59 p.m.
