I would recommend that you mention to the off-list poster about the existence of a community of educators working with web 2.0 tools in all sorts of educational settings called Classroom 2.0 at http://www.classroom20.com/  Started by educator Steve Hargadon, Classroom 2.0 bills itself as "The community for educators using web 2.0 and collaborative technologies" and currently lists more than 30,000 educators worldwide as members.  In terms of this discussion, a search of topics for discussion involving resistance to integration of technology and the internet by administrators will lead to many in which teachers describe their efforts to overcome administrator or community resistance to using the internet or social media tools in educational settings.  

In my own opinion, the refusal to allow the use of any type of social media tool or the internet itself is a symptom of school board or administrator laziness or ignorance, especially now that  in addition to basic "filtering techology" virtually every social media tool from blogs to email have "sheltered" educational versions easily available that allow students to be isolated from the greater internet world and monitored as they attain basic technology literacy skills.  (Correctional education - schools in jails - would be the only exception!) As for community norms, how better to give parents and other community members their own tools for understanding the "dangers" of the internet than by providing them with knowledge about both the positive and negative aspects of the worldwide web and skills that allow them to be involved in the ways their children use the internet. By joining the discussions at Classroom 2.0, you'll be motivated to struggle for local implementation once you see how educators worldwide are using social media and the internet with students of all ages.

In regards to another aspect of the original question, there are lots of discussions at Classroom 2.0 about getting teachers themselves to use the technology as part of instruction. I hope you and others take the time to look through as many of those as possible because there are lots of good ideas.  One common theme is that teachers who do not use the tools for themselves or see no value in using the tools in their personal lives, will probably not be very motivated or willing to spend time using them in their teaching or learning about how to use them with students.  A good deal of discussion is also devoted to overcoming teacher "fear" of letting students know that their teacher doesn't know something-and since there's so much not to know about using computers, many teachers have lots of fear!

I don't want this to be too lengthy, so I'll close with something many adult educators have found out once they've started using computers and social media tools as part of instruction.  Adult students, whether they're parents or not, have a great desire to learn about using computers and using the internet, and classroom attendance will reflect that desire once they become aware that they can obtain technology skills at school, either as part of a specific technology class or as part of the instruction of another subject.

Barry Bakin
Pacoima Skills Center
Division of Adult and Career Education
Los Angeles Unified School District





-----Original Message-----
From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Nell Eckersley
Sent: Tue 10/13/2009 11:35 AM
To: The Technology and Distance Learning Discussion List
Subject: [Technology 2381] Re: importance of technology
 
Hi all,

Below is one response I got off-list.  Certainly a lack of access to the
internet does limit certain types of computer based instruction and that
can be very frustrating when there is all this excitement about using
web 2.0 social media tools.  Perhaps some of you have found work arounds
or computer programs that don't require internet access?  Do any of you
use PowerPoint with your students?  Or cellphones?

 

"Adult education program administrators often feel the need to adhere to
the norms of the community in which the school is operating.  Sometimes
it is important to administrators to make certain the school is above
reproach with regard to upholding community standards.  At times they
point out that the Internet in the classroom can be a source of content
that is out of the bounds of community norms.  For this reason some
administrators prefer to prevent access by not making the Internet
available at all." 

Best,

Nell
...

Hi all,

I'm reposting two posts for the NIFL English Language Discussion List
regarding computer based instruction. I'd be interested in hearing your
responses to the issues of lack of access to high tech tools and lack of
professional development.  Are these challenges being met where you are?
Have you found ways to overcome them independently?  Are their other
challenges or barriers?  What can we/others do to help teachers step
through their fear and trepidation of using computers with their
students? How did you step through yours?