This week we talked about the LoTi levels, which was something that I have heard about, but haven't really studied at all. It was interesting seeing that my LoTi level was 4a based on the questionnaire that we took. This is my 5th year teaching and technology has always been important to me and my classroom. I was fortunate that my mathematics education professors really pushed us to utilize the affordance of technology to enhance student learning while I was in my undergrad. I really try to use the technology that is available to me to create authentic learning experiences.
I also found the article "Next Steps: Using LoTi as a Research Tool" very interesting as it discusses how to use the Levels of Technology Implementation (LoTi) framework to assess how well technology in the classroom enhances student achievement. There has been a need for accountability measures due to the large amount of money invested in technology in education. Dr. Moersch created this framework as a means to measure the effect of technology on student achievement. I found it interesting that the majority of teachers that were surveyed were at Level 2: Exploration. This is actually pretty consistent with the school that I teach at. Many teachers are afraid of using technology at a higher level for a variety of reasons, such as the time it takes to learn how to use it, the amount of standards they need to cover already, or they simply don't want to try something completely new. It's unfortunate that this perception exist, but many of the teachers at my school didn't really grow up with technology like many of the younger teachers, so I can understand the hesitancy in using something new, especially since many have been teaching the same thing the same way for many years. In fact, as our district has made an effort to require more technology use, a few of our teachers have chosen to retire instead of enduring the stress of implementing something new.
As far as my project goes, I have nothing really new to report. I'm still trying to decide exactly what I want to do. My goal for this week is to plan out where I will be at in my curriculum to determine which direction I should go.
I look forward to our conversations this week!
-LC
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I was really surprised that most teachers were at a level 2! I haven't actually taught yet, so I don't have the school experience that others have, but this was a shock to me! Do you find that it tends to be the "more experienced" folks who have a harder time implementing the technology?
ReplyDeleteActually, now that I think about it, I shouldn't be surprised. During one of my practicum experiences as an undergrad, my cooperating teacher was a year away from retirement, but she was forced to take a technology class. SHE HAD ME DO HER WORK!! I was shocked and appalled, but I feared saying no since she had control of my grade. I just wonder why teachers are so hesitant to change sometimes? Is it because we tend to get stuck in our ways of doing things and refuse to change? I hope I don't end up like that. I'd like to be "teacher as researcher" as one of my professors called it, where I never stop learning. There's so much good that can come out of using technology, so it saddens me that it happens. My particular instance was in Clarke County, which has an abundance of technological resources, making it even sadder when they aren't used!!
Great points! :)
I also found it interesting that so many teachers were at a level 2. There is so much technology available for use in school districts around the state that you would think more teachers would be using technology in their classrooms. I would probably be surprised at the results if teachers at my school took this survey, too. Every teacher has a laptop, SMART Board, and projector in their classroom. We have had this technology for a few years now and it is interesting to see how many teachers only actually use these items as an electronic dry erase board or overhead projector. I teach in Clarke County so I agree with Sarah's comment on how sad it is that so much of our technology is not used.
ReplyDeleteSarah, yes I see it more with the "more experienced." I guess they are in their comfort zone, and have been for a while. Plus many didn't really grow up with it as a child so it's like learning chinese or something... I'm not really sure. I'm considered a 'technology guru' simply because I'm not afraid to try anything... it's very strange, but I guess it's just a generation gap. Thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteNot to repeat what everyone else has said, but I was really shocked with the current level of LoTI that most teachers are at today. One thing that I mentioned in another one of our class blogs is that I think that it is beneficial to have a set of "standards" to use to gauge how much of the technology purchased for schools is being used, and used consistantly. One of my 6170 projects was about providing more training for teachers on how to use these tools, because most teachers who did not grow up using technology will definately feel uncomfortable incorporating it. Hence the "generation gap" that is becoming wider and wider! Great post!
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