"Unfortunately, without the level of training and support they need, many teachers do not use technology to their advantage -- for grading, organizing lessons, searching for information, communicating with the education community, or in the classroom with their students. . Theyve grown up with technology; its woven into their lives. "E-mail cannot be accessed from home, but it can be accessed from anywhere in the division, sent to any address on the Net, and sent between school and home. "Our school also has a Web site, and teachers contribute to it if they choose to; however, no one is required to do so. Teachers can download templates, clip art, hotlists, and so on, for easy and safe access by students. "Access to technology also makes its use easier," Tiffany noted. Technology teachers work in elementary and secondary schools, where they conduct lessons in a classroom or laboratory setting. Most expressed an interest in learning more about technologies, others reported that they had altogether abandoned using some technologies due to the lack of resources and time constraints for learning new technologies, and some were skeptical about the benefits of using technologies. http://www.psdschools.org/academics/instructional-technology/techcellence, http://epresence.psdschools.org/1/Page/Published/5.aspx. In return, they would receive a laptop computer to use as long as they are in the district. He told me to go up and write it down. We also have a lead teacher who works directly with K-12 teachers in the district, helping them learn to use new programs and to integrate technology. Five Technology Lessons Every Teacher Can Teach! What kind of equipment and training are available to teachers? Using Wordpress, we created a blog, TeachTechPSD, which has become the storage vault for all our content creation. This is hard for some educators (who do it well) to appreciate. Did they want to use Excel? We also have encouraged teachers to create their own Web pages on our home site, but usually it is left to one of the advanced computer classes to create pages for the teachers. Teaching with technology refers to a lot more than just tool use. "To satisfy state requirements for certification, our division has developed what we fondly refer to as the 'Peach Booklet,'" Timmons added. * Madeleine Decker, sixth grade teacher and school webmaster, Washington Intermediate School, Pekin, Illinois Whether this will usher in a greater use of technology … Besides tracking grades, educators may use computers to formulate lesson plans, worksheets, study guides, tests and other deliverables. Some teachers, experts say, still are reluctant to use technology, mostly because of a lack of time, a lack of resources, or a lack of confidence in their ability to use the available technology. "Our teachers have made the most improvement in their [level of ] use of computer labs for Internet access," Holmes noted. Those workshops are generally two hours in duration and include stipend payment through grant funds. One possible idea is to ask local businesses to donate 'prizes' to teachers who show an interest, and develop a proficiency, in technology use. Those teachers then would become master trainers and teach other teachers. * John S. Tiffany, high school science teacher, Wauseon High School, Wauseon, Ohio Did they want to learn Power Point? Teaching teachers about technology is the main responsibility of my job, and finding new ways to support teachers is always on my radar. "The TRT's model lessons with kids, find online resources for teachers, show teachers how to use equipment, provide one-on-one training during planning time, and so on. "That is a guide to assist teachers in achieving the goal of technology certification. . "The Tech Center offers after-school sessions on Web pages, basic Windows administration, hardware, and Excel. Further complicating matters is the difficulty of effectively integrating technology in the classroom. We also have had school Webmasters since about 1997; they each have a digital camera to record school events. Some have; most have not. "Today," Decker noted, "the laptops have been retired, and all teachers have new desktop computers. Included: Tips for encouraging staff technology use. Teaching teachers about technology is the main responsibility of my job, and finding new ways to support teachers is always on my radar. The technology department does provide aid in the form of a help line, which they respond to; but sometimes those responses are limited. "Our district's pilot program was underway then," Decker remembered. "Problems over the past few years -- such as the network being down for up to six weeks at a time, e-mail that did not function, limited lab time, and so on -- have made the idea of using technology very discouraging for staff members, especially those just beginning to become comfortable with technology. Each of you can look at all of the ideas and put check marks beside the ones that interest you, and then that will drive the topics that we discuss today.". * Julia Timmons, instructional technology specialist, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation, Lynchburg, Virginia Technology use in classroom instruction can vary greatly from school to school. "Knowledgeable staff members, along with a parent who is a photographer, taught several sessions on camera use and on integrating digital photography into the curriculum. * Jennifer Wagner, computer coordinator, Crossroads Christian School, Corona, California "Our teachers also use special software to maintain student information," Wyatt said. "There is no expectation that staff members reach levels of proficiency or show growth in their skills," Kreul added. "I think teachers also felt that the stipend (less than $12 per hour) was relatively small compared to what their time was worth," said Hutchinson. "Perhaps more teachers would embrace technology if they knew they would be rewarded for using it -- versus being punished for not using it," Hutchinson noted. Teachers also are required to demonstrate the effective use of technology in one of the annual lessons their primary evaluator observes. "I suspect that the lack of teacher participation was due in part to lack of time," Hutchinson said. Most busy teachers simply ask colleagues in their department or the teacher’s lounge. "Weekly bulletins and other teacher information are provided via e-mail. Included: Tips for encouraging staff technology use. Bottom Line: Encourage interactivity, increase visual interest, and diversify your lessons with online … The following Tech Team members contributed to this article: (Titles current at time of original publication.) * Lori Sanborn, K-5 technology specialist, Rancho Las Positas School, Livermore, California "(Although the program's Web page looks pretty crude today, I still use the photographs in the Monitor/Video Splitter section to hook up my monitor in the fall.) Local businesses could look at it as a community service and advertising, and teachers might be more motivated to use technology. 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