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Having grown up immersed in technology, the students of today are digital natives, but many of their teachers are often playing catch-up because they are digital immigrants. Furthermore, although new teachers enter the profession comfortable with technology for personal use, they must still be thoughtful regarding the application of technology for instructional purposes. For the paradigm to shift in how technology is used in the classroom, teachers must become more comfortable with its usage and grow in understanding of its value within the classroom. The authors examine some of the identified barriers to technology integration in the classroom and offer teachers several tools to help open the gates to integration.
Introduction
Few teachers truly work in environments devoid of technology. Even in schools where limited funds prevent major technology purchases, tools for connecting, communicating, collaborating, and creating surround them. Students bring tools with them daily in their pockets, purses, and bags in the form of smartphones and other mobile devices. However, many teachers are left unsure about how to engage students with emerging technologies or how to embed technology effectively as a seamless part of instruction.
Todays students and many of todays teachers have grown up immersed in technology. However, when it comes to employing technology as a pedagogical tool, teachers often must play catch-up, while still acting as instructional guides. Often teachers perceive they cannot act as authority figures in their classrooms if they bring in tech tools. Teachers must be at least minimally comfortable with technology use and see the value that these tools can bring to their daily lives before they can consider technology integration as anything more than one more thing required of them. For true change to take place in the classroom, the paradigm shift must begin with the teachers rather than the students. In this article, we examine some of the identified barriers to teacher technology integration and discuss key tools that can provide teachers with the experiences necessary to open the gates for technology integration.
Research
For decades, education experts have heralded emerging technologies as the next big thing to revolutionize teaching. That revolution, however, has yet to arrive, and many classrooms of today regularly resemble the classrooms of a century ago rather than 21st century centers...