Field Experience II; 2402

Dr. Baldwin

Jennifer Moyer

Technology in the Classrooms

           Technology in the classrooms has changed immensely since I have attended

 Lincoln School in Fairview.  I was lucky enough to do my observations in my old school,

because I had a lot of old faces there to help me out along the way.  Fairview's School

District does not have a technology department, let alone a supervisor, or someone who

specializes in that area.  Every teacher basically takes care of the computers in their own

room and that is it.  When I attended Lincoln School we had a computer class.  That

was the climax of our technology; we just did not learn about technology, we learned

how to type and nothing else.  I was able to talk to my old computer teacher though,

since he was the closest person I could get to being a "technology expert."

      I was not able to ask him all of the questions since some of them did not pertain to him, but I have received interesting answers for the rest of the questions.  When I asked him how technology changed teaching and learning he told me it has changed a great deal, even since I have attended the school.  Children rely more on the internet to look up information instead of going to the library and search through books.  Teachers even do lessons over the internet to help the children get a feel to using it.  He even mentioned how when we are assigned a paper we now have to include web addresses to the bibliography and work cited instead of just the books we would use.  He also said that he feels it is a good idea for the teachers to use as much technology as possible to help teach the children, since technology is taking over the world little by little.  

          He also started telling me how if he was in charge of the technology department, he would try to keep the school as advanced as possible.  All the classrooms would have the same type of computers, instead of one class having new ones and another having the old ones.  Each class should be equal and have at least two computers in each room.  He also said that he feels Lincoln School has not kept up with the technology like they could have.  The computer classroom received about twenty-five brand new Dell computers, where the Annex received the old computers from the computer room.  He said that the school should make every classroom equal with the computers because it is something useful to the students and they should be able to use the technology as much as they can.

          When I asked him how schools of education should respond in preparing teachers to teach with technology, he basically told me, "The only way you can prepare to teach with technology is to learn how to use that technology."  He told me that we need to learn how to use what we are going to teach, in case that technology is needed.  If we want to teach a lesson using PowerPoint for example, but have no idea on how to use it; how are you going to teach the lesson?  He said to me that we would not have to go and take classes on PowerPoint, but that it would be a smart idea to learn about and how to use almost every program a computer has to offer so that when you come to teaching a lesson, you will not have any questions about it.  

          The Fairview School District does not provide training in the area of technology.  Basically each teacher has their own amount of knowledge in that area and will have to use it best to their abilities.  I personally have seen some of the teachers trying to use the computers in their classroom and not have any idea on what they were supposed to do.  I think for teachers who are still grasping the idea of "that damn contraption" known as the computer, should try to further their knowledge so they do not have to continue to ask for help from another teacher, staff member or even one of their students.

          After talking to this teacher I have realized that the school district really has not changed much from when I attended the schools.  The technology, the classrooms and a lot of the teachers are still the same.  I really did enjoy my time at the school and can not wait until I can go back to visit.  I do hope they will be able to resolve their problem with lack of technology because I do feel it would be a great experience for the students to have while they attend the school.