I think that change is so slow because we as a nation, state, or even school do not have a constant goal in mind. I feel that many long time educators are resistant to change, because we have been asked to change many times without a constant goal in mind. When I started at my school we had block scheduling to increase the language arts periods. Two years ago the administration felt that middle school students could not stay focused for that extended amount of time and moved away from block scheduling. This year we went back to blocks because we have a new administrator who believes in block scheduling. I feel that this drastic movement from one side of the pendulum to the other is typical in education. Whole language vs. Grammar and solving vs. estimating math problem shows this constant movement back and forth. I think that veteran teachers resist change because they have seen education move one way and when the new administrators take office we move directly back to what we had. I feel that many changes occurs just to be a line on someone's resume. Change would happen quickly if it occurred from the bottom up and was designed to meet the goals of the school. I think that the quote from Taking Stock: What does research say about Technologies Impact on Education? makes my point.
“Q- Why do you think change is so slow? I believe I’ve heard you quoted as saying that technology will never make headway in schools because of resistance on the part of teachers.
A- No, I would us the word “resistance.” That’s an administrator’s term. Teachers don’t resist. They’re not saboteurs. They simply realize that the costs of adopting technology are very high and many of them don’t like it. “Adaptation” is a better word. Most technology initiatives are top-down. Many teachers want to use technology, but others don’t because the people who make the decisions for them don’t understand their need. ( Cuban, Salpter)”
Teachers will change as long as there is a clear goal that is in the best interest of the school.
Taking Stock: What does research say about Technologies Impact on Education? Technology and Learning.
1 comment:
I liked your Cuban quote. If you look online, Larry Cuban had a debate with another academic, a professor from Standford (I think) named Pea. They debated the merits of technology as a learning tool. You might enjoy the read-- check it out.
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