When integrating technology into the classroom, the teacher must understand the effectiveness of the Milkin PCC self assessments and what they are able to contribute to their current technology assessment. Just realizing the weakness and strengths in certain technology areas is not enough. First, teachers must be convinced that technology is essential in transforming them from teachers that use only traditional methods of teaching and learning into facilitators that guide students in a more self directed learning path. Technology helps students to improve cognitive skills. Exploring the software and tools available opens them to hands on learning, including how to correct their own mistakes. Technology helps students to be more actively involved. They will experiment with tools, engaging in learning processes such as synthesizing information, compiling, compare and contrast and many more.
After realizing the benefits of technology in education and knowing our level of self assessments (Milkin PCC), then we can better see our direction and current capabilities to integrate technology into teaching. Transformation level teachers have a distinct advantage in this task. Most the time, they will be a resource to others, contributing to professional growth and support systems. Adaptation and entry level teachers can help propagate restructure in the school setting to accomplish the technology integration goals. They can act as a model for active learning, applying technology to the learning task and develop interaction among students through cooperative learning.
Ideally, administrators would make technology integration a priority by having an adequately funded budget for buying computers and other equipment. Sadly, fulfilling the needed role of technology in education is slow to come to fruition. As an Adaptation and Entry level teacher visiting the Language Lab, the needed staff support from a paraprofessional/technician was never available. Support is not available during later hours because of very tight budgets in regard to computer lab maintenance. This seems to happen often to facilities that are in the transformation stage of development. Changing from traditional to restructured schools is difficult to accomplish and most schools are not prepared to meet the challenges. I don’t think skimping in the area of technology support is the most practical plan to reach the integration goals of our school. Transformation is not possible without these workers there to guide and train the users.
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