Technology Facilitaion Standard I
Technology facilitators can help bridge the gap between the teachers who are shy with technology and those who are savvy. The article states an example that exemplifies this statement. The example is about the art teacher and technology facilitator working together. The technology facilitator explained a drawing program to the art teacher and assisted in the classes; through the software the classes learned depth, angles, and perspective. The art teacher stated the students learned a lesson, which takes normally six weeks to learn, took only one or two 40-minute class periods (Borja, 2007). The classroom teacher does not have to feel alone, the technology facilitator is there to aid in any assistance. The facilitator demonstrates a program, or skill and will help to implement the new skill with a class.
Training in technology is the way for schools to become technology infused. The article discussed a school district that reqires a weeklong technology training camp, and another district that requires "40 hours of intensive training for teachers in technology integration over a five-year period" (Borja, 2007). Without training teachers become less aware of the advantages teachnology has to offer the classroom.
Incentives for training teachers is how Borja (2007) end the article. "Incentives include credia for completing technology training, stipends, grants to finance technology projects in the classroom, salary increases, and hardware" (Borja, 2007). Seventeen states offer these incentives. If more states offered these incentives more schools would become technology infused.
The article fully demonstrated the standard. However, specific examples of new technologies to use in the classroom could have made the article stronger. Also, the effect technology makes on teachers could have been described in further detail.
Borja, R. (2007). Teaching assistants. Education Week, 26(30).
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*Teachers are required, in my district, to order supplies online for the following year. This handout allowed them to easily access the site and place an order.