Technology Intensive Courses

The current approach to educational technology integration is to train ALL teachers in the use of web 2.0 tools and HOPE teachers choose to infuse these tools into instruction. We train and hope with no guarantee that all students would benefit.

I am wondering if our approach is the most effective and efficient it could be? Instead of focusing on all teachers, I am wondering if we shouldn't focus our energies on a FEW teachers in efforts that would benefit ALL students. I am suggesting schools create Technology Intensive Courses.

Imagine if ALL students had access to a technology intensive course each year they were in high school. It would be great if all teachers and courses integrated technology tools, but shouldn't we at least ensure that all students have access to at least one?

My thoughts are that curriculum committees would identify at least four courses that would be rewritten to include 21st century skills, not as an add on, but as genuine concepts, tools and activities to reach instructional goals.

What are your thoughts? How can we best use our resources to accomplish our goals?

Comments

dbittner said…
As I read your comments regarding technology integration, I couldn't agree more that we should focus our energies on a FEW teachers so that ALL students might benefit in learning how to use these tools to enhance their learning. Teachers have so much on their plates these days with the demands of their regular classroom duties that it doesn't make sense to add one more responsibility to their list. Not all teachers are competent to teach technology skills. It is difficult enough just to be a content expert and master the art of teaching in order the needs of the diverse learners in the classroom. Having a teacher who is certified in technology to teach courses that include 21st century skills would seem the logical choice. Having a few quality teachers who can instruct our students in the technology skills they will need to be successful is much more preferable to having a quantity of teachers with novice skills in this area providing mediocre instruction that may or may not meet the needs of our students.
November 20, 2008 at 10:25 PM
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