Interesting Article

Student and Teacher Views About Technology: A Tale of Two Cities?

By: Qing Li

I read this article the other day and I thought I would share my views on it with you.

Computers are going to replace the need to have a teacher in the front of the classroom? This may sound crazy but this was the only theme that showed parallel results in this study. In this article they discussed the difference in views between the students and the teachers toward the topic of integration of technology into schools. They had quite different views on most of the topics. The study looked at 15 secondary Math and Science teachers with experience all across the board from 1 year experience to 30 years experience. Then they also had a total of 575 grade 7 – 12 students, both urban and rural. They looked at technology in classrooms and the affects that it has; both good and bad. Then they compared the data. The topics discussed included:

1) Did it increase efficiency for the students

2) Pedagogy

3) Did it prepare students better for the future

4) Did it increase their motivation and did it raise their confidence.

The students enjoyed the technology, craved more consistent use, and looked for constant upgrades. They said that it increased efficiency, motivation, confidence, and it prepared them for the future. “Their teachers, on the other hand, are far less enthusiastic. Two out of the 15 teachers had used computers frequently, with conditions; that is, 1) students should have strong academic background and 2) the teachers are comfortable with the subjects they are teaching. If the teachers have weaker students or are teaching unfamiliar subjects, computers are not considered. For the rest, computers have been used as no more than ‘souped-up typewriters” (Guerrero, Walker, & Dougdale, 2004)

This article was really interesting to me because it basically proved how far apart our teachers and our students really are in our expanding technology world. I did find it very interesting that the students felt it made them more efficient and it motivated them to learn more. I think a lot of teachers just think of technology as a waste of time and as an expensive pain in the neck. I thought it was great the students actually felt that it made them more confident and prepared them for the future.

The scariest part of the article to me was that at no time did any of the teachers mention that exposing these kids to more technology is going to prepare them for the workplace. I don’t know that I can think of any profession that you don’t need to be proficient in computers. The more proficient and comfortable you are the better. It is disturbing to think that all 15 of the teachers perceived the technology integration as no more than extra workload. That was eye opening to me and very disappointing.

In summary I don’t know that the study was earth shattering. I felt for the most part the article reported what I expected, but there were a few areas that were shocking and upsetting to me. Overall the students were in favor of the technology and wanted as much as they could get and the teachers really viewed it as something extra that the students could use. Most of the teachers viewed technology as extra workload and I think that is disheartening because teachers are the mentors for today’s youth and will impact how technology is used and how successful it will make our students in the future.

References:

Li, Q. (2007). Student and teacher views about technology: A tale of two cities? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39(4), 377-397. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/JRTE/Issues/Volume_39/Number_4_Summer_2007/Student_and_Teacher_Views_About_Technology_A_Tale_of_Two_Cities_.htm