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Education Special Section
Change in Educator Practices / School
Infrastructure
Although technology is getting all the hype for
being a game changer in the education industry, the real success
comes from teachers and their active role in ensuring the proper
employment of that technology in making a difference in
learning. According to Education Week, 90 percent of teachers
agree that technology gives them the ability to tailor lessons and
homework assignments to the individual needs of students. Yet,
teachers and schools who rate their system-wide technology
integration on a lower scale don’t have as much hope. Buy-in
from educators, school leaders and board members, parents, and
the community is critical when looking to successfully integrate
new technologies into a curriculum. The change in how teachers
are teaching and how students are learning requires a complete
shift from room layouts and resources needed for students, to
continuing teacher education and administrative observations.
Each piece of the education puzzle needs to be thoughtfully
addressed in order to successfully accommodate a new way of
learning.
“What technology allows us to do is amplify and expand the
repertoire of techniques that effective teachers use to elicit the
attention, effort and engagement that are the basis of learning,”
Michelle Miller says in Minds Online. “The tools we use can
and do change us but when we use these tools mindfully, we
can remain in control of those changes, shaping them to benefit
our students.” As schools are implementing the infrastructure
needed for technology advancements in the classroom, teachers
are being tasked with providing their students with a more
individualized approach to learning. Professional development
for these teachers is critical to ensure that they are not stretched
too thin and their budgetary resources are properly allocated.
Support from administrators and coaching from peer mentors in
how to approach this new way of teaching has proven to increase
the likelihood of success in the classroom. In addition, classroom
evaluations are being reconfigured, as sitting in the back of a
classroom no longer accurately assesses a teacher’s effectiveness
in this new learning environment.
The World Economic Forum states that 75 percent of
educators and students feel there is a gap in their ability to meet
the needs of a growing IT-focused workforce. In addition, 90
percent of organizations currently have an IT skills shortage;
by 2020, it is estimated that there will be 1.5 million jobs in the
digital industry across the globe. These statistics alone make
technology integration into schools a necessity. Not only will
our young children come out of their education prepared for
a role in a booming industry, but our teachers will have the
confidence in knowing that they’ve provided their students the
best opportunity for success. ■