If you were the principal of your school, what could you do to make it easier for classroom teachers to use information technologies in their teaching/learning programs?
Primary and secondary teachers answered this question in a survey following an intensive professional development program sponsored by the New Zealand Ministry of Education and the Christchurch College of Education. Some of the answers were surprising, some were only to be expected.
For instance, we expected to hear that teachers needed more computers, more technical help, and more professional development. But we were surprised that teachers seemed to have few concerns about the pedagogical aspects of technology; they seemed to welcome computer applications in the classroom—particularly tools like word processing, spreadsheets, CD-ROMs, and e-mail. But they had pressing concerns about participating in long-term technology planning and about ongoing support.
Learning About Technology
During 1994-95, we offered a professional development program in the use of information technologies as tools for learning. Approximately 450 elementary and 150 secondary schoolteachers in our region took part. I was one of the coordinators and facilitators of the program, called Information Technology in the School Curriculum.
We provided teachers a combination of daylong workshops and in-school classroom projects. We asked them to weave into their classroom programs at least one unit of work incorporating some significant use of computers or other interactive technology. About 60 percent of the teachers rated themselves as beginners with computers, and most of the others had little experience beyond using a word processor for preparing task sheets. For virtually all teachers, their project was the first time they had used computer technology to enhance student learning.
Management and System Issues
As the program progressed, we became increasingly aware that most problems the teachers faced were technical or systemic. Many secondary teachers, for example, had irksome problems with internal school systems, such as those for charging out the cost of printing, password codes for logging on to networks, restrictions on taking computers home for weekends, or access to already overbooked computer rooms. The elementary teachers seemed to be having fewer systemic problems; but even for them, whole-staff participation frequently led to inconveniences, such as having to change schedules to match the availability of equipment, problems with breakdowns, and delays while waiting for computer configurations.
To some extent, our program itself was the catalyst for many of these inconveniences; we accepted only whole school staffs or whole departments as participants. Because everyone was working on technology-related projects at once, the demand for equipment and support far exceeded the supply. We had designed our program to be all-inclusive because we wanted to encourage buddy systems and natural support groups (cluster groups) within each school, and we wanted to get a glimpse of the future for schools when such integration was commonplace. Teachers did form such groups. But as it turned out, our evaluations highlighted the systemic impact of significant numbers of staff trying to use technology in their teaching programs at the same time.
To focus the teachers on some of these administrative and management issues, we gave each cluster group a simple survey to complete and discuss. On the final day of the program, we asked them to discuss what had worked—and what hadn't—in terms of school systems and support. We asked them to provide advice to their principals, thus focusing on solutions rather than just listing problems. By using an open-ended question, we wanted to encourage brainstorming for later discussion; and we wanted to get a feel for the practical problems that teachers face when integrating technology and curriculum. We used qualitative research techniques to collate and group responses, cross-referencing them with some of our field observations.
Teachers' Concerns and Suggestions
Teachers made many specific and general suggestions, ranging from such administrivia as the inclusion of computer disks in students' stationery orders to more substantial pleas for greater democracy in decisions about the technology. The elementary teachers seemed less concerned about timetable and access issues than their secondary counterparts, presumably because most of our elementary schools have their computers based in classrooms, whereas most secondary schools use computer laboratories. Elementary teachers also brought up issues of adequate maintenance and regular upgrading of equipment much more often than secondary teachers. Otherwise, however, both groups of teachers had similar responses.
We found four key issues of concern to both elementary and secondary teachers: planning, access, technical support, and professional development. Our teachers wanted greater involvement in policy and decision making about technology and a sense of long-term planning rather than "ad hocery." They wanted more computers, or easier access to the computers that were in the school. They wanted much more technical assistance within the school. And they wanted more time for professional development in instructional technologies.
- Have a clear policy, arrived at democratically, on the place of information technologies in the school curriculum.
- Guarantee teachers ready access to new resources and those already in the school (for sample responses, see box)
- Provide technical support for classroom teachers using information technologies in their teaching programs.
- Support ongoing professional development in appropriate uses of information technologies for all interested staff.
Computer Access: Teachers' Advice to Principals
Encourage, motivate, allow teachers to be adventurous. (P)
Provide more up-to-date computers, especially at the junior school level (don't give the latest technology just to the older children). (P)
Provide at least two computers (plus telephone lines and power sockets) per classroom. (P)
Aim for sets of computers (preferably laptops) that staff can check out. (S)
Ensure equity of access for girls. (S)
Have classroom linked to central databases and networked to the library. (S)
P = Primary teachers; S = Secondary teachers.
It was clear from their evaluations and discussions that all the teachers felt there were significant teaching and learning benefits to be gained from using information technologies with their classes. They particularly valued the release time the program made available to become familiar with the technologies, as well as the in-school support the facilitators were able to give during their classroom projects.
- Classroom teachers themselves having a clear rationale for the use of technology to meet their particular curriculum goals, the time and opportunity to become familiar with the technology, and the assertiveness to stake their claim for resources.
- The active support of the perceived experts, such as computer studies teachers, who often have responsibility for, and therefore power over, computers and computer rooms.
- The active support of school principals and administrators willing to put in place facilitative management systems.
Where all three factors were present during their projects, the teachers were really positive and enthusiastic throughout. Where any one of them was absent, they felt frustrated and had to work hard to reenergize themselves. The program facilitators were especially helpful at these times, but state-funded programs such as ours are usually short-term projects. In fact, this program has now been discontinued. The schools are on their own again.
The challenge we gave to the teachers was relatively simple and short term: to try something new with their students, using new technologies. The challenge they gave to their schools as a result was probably greater and more enduring: to devise management and administrative systems that will allow innovation and development in instructional technologies to flourish and be continually fueled from within the school, rather than temporarily stimulated from without.
