The authors of the article, New Insights on Technology Adoption in Schools (Sherry, Billig, Tavalin, & Gibson, 2000), describe five developmental stages that teachers go through as they learn and adopt strategies of integrating technology in the classroom. Being that I am in the midst of changing careers and am still in my pre-service training program, my position on the "Technology Adoption Scale" (Sherry, et. al., 2000, p.1) is in stage one. I am learning how to use various forms of technology and how students can use digital tools to enhance their learning. I will not be able to reach stage two until I am actually in the classroom, which will happen in about three years.
I fear that because this is an introductory course that I am taking in the beginning of the program, the technology I am learning will be completely outdated by the time I start teaching. In order to remain in stage one, I will have to be diligent about keeping up with technology on my own. I will have to heed the advice in the article based on the success of "The WEB Project" (Sherry, et. al., 2000, p. 1). I should register for one or more online teacher forums, so that I can stay "in the loop" following along with teachers who are integrating digital tools into their lesson plans. Although I am loathe to admit it, universities should add an intermediate and an upper level technology course to their pre-service teacher training programs. This would allow me to stay in the position I am in this snapshot in technological time, which is learning the current educational uses of technology. I only hope that I will be able to accomplish this through online forums on my own.
Then, in three years when I start teaching, I hope to move quickly through stages two and three learning from trial and error, from my colleagues, and from my students. When I reach stage four about 5 years from now, I know I will reaffirm my belief in the benefits of technology as a learning tool. I hope that 10 years from now I will have moved on to stage five. I would love to be able to help others like myself push through the barriers and effectively incorporate technology, preparing students for success in their future lives.
References
Sherry, L., Billig, S. H., Tavailin, F., & Gibson, D. (2000,
February 1). New insights on technology adoption in
schools. Retrieved June 21, 2011 from
http://thejournal.com/articles/2000/02/01/new-insights-
on-technology-adoption-in-schools.aspx
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