TASK: Choose a problem in my professional context, Explore solutions to the problem, Identify an intervention, and Develop a program of evaluation of that intervention
CHOSEN PROBLEM: Educator Technophobia (Fear of Technology) and Classroom Technology Integration
INTRODUCTION:
Digital tools, while becoming increasingly embedded in students’ daily lives, are also steadily working their way into today’s classrooms. However, the kind of reception that these technologies receive once brought into a classroom can vary greatly from one educator to the next. While many teachers are eager to work with new technologies, that acceptance is simply not universal and often the opposite is true. Rather than greeting these new instruments with excitement and curiosity, there is a sense of fear and anxiety towards them. This fear of working with technology, or technophobia, then inhibits not only the teacher’s own digital skills, but also his or her ability to fully integrate the technology into classroom practice, making it more difficult for students to benefit from the devices’ presence, as well. With these issues in mind, the following research questions arise: WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATOR TECHNOPHOBIA ON CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION? Also, WHAT STRATEGIES CAN EFFECTIVELY MINIMIZE EDUCATOR TECHNOPHOBIA?
My awareness of this problem began in my first year of teaching. The school where I worked was very proud of the SMART Boards they had begun installing in various classrooms. This was touted on the school website and the goal was made clear to the public that someday soon every class would have a SMART Board. As a traveling teacher, I didn’t have a classroom of my own, but I did use one room that had a coveted SMART Board. The students adored this tool. They were always eager to show me different features of the board and would request that we use it for any given task. What I quickly found out, though, was that while the teachers who had these boards in their room were “trained” on them, that did not guarantee that the boards were integrated into their lessons to the same degree or with the same level of enthusiasm. In fact, in some cases the SMART Board was treated like a standard chalkboard—as if the technological advance had never taken place. At the time I noted the phenomenon, but did not spend much time considering the causes or factors involved.
As my teaching career continued and I switched buildings, I observed varying degrees of technology use and similar variance in how technology was or was not embraced by educators. As I planned lessons using the computer lab or incorporating a digital projector, other teachers would make comments about how they could “never do that” or how they wouldn’t know where to start. In addition to statements about lack of familiarity came mention of concerns because “the students know more about those than I do,” or “I don’t trust those machines,” etc. It was clear that the issue was not just lack of specific training on the technology, but also feelings of inadequacy with technology skills in general and knowing less about the tool than one’s students, or a general anxiety about using something new and different. While these fears were certainly understandable, it was clear that they needed to be addressed and remedied.
Resistance to the very media with which students are accustomed means educators are staying within their own comfort zone, but neglecting that of their students. That may not warrant immediate concern, but what are the larger implications of a teacher’s failure, or inability, to embrace technology? Are students missing out on enriched learning experiences? Are teachers missing a chance to bridge the gap between their learning style and those of their students? What could be gained if educators’ technophobia could be managed? In this study, I hope to not only find some answers to questions like these, but to also deduce which strategies can best address the issue of technophobia in schools and in the educational community in general.
As an educator who has a passion for technology, the problem of technophobia is highly relevant and important to me. I have seen firsthand how technology-integrated lessons can lead to increased student interest, higher motivation, and improved learning. While working with digital tools in my classroom has involved challenges, the benefits tend to far outweigh any difficulties. I want all educators to have the experience of integrating new pieces of technology into their practice without feelings of intimidation hindering the process. I believe helping reduce people’s fears of technology would not only lead to increased technological confidence for those individuals, but also more seamless assimilation of these tools, improved student outcomes, and better return on investment for the schools and districts that have made technology a financial priority.
In general, others recognize the dilemma of technophobia and its negative effects on utilization of technology in the classroom, and this phenomenon is not a new occurrence. As Rosen and Weil (1995) explain:
Since Time named the microcomputer their “Man of the Year” in 1983 there has been a continued drive for public school teachers to become computer literate. A nationwide study concluded that although teachers have increased computer availability in their classrooms, they are not integrating computers into the standard curricula. (p. 9)
The authors go on to describe their study, which examined technophobia as an explanation for low levels of computer utilization. So while the issue of technophobia clearly is not brand new, it is a problem that has not disappeared over time, but rather continues to be a hindering force in the technological advancement of our nation’s classrooms. As the demand for technology in the classroom increases and digital educational tools multiply, it follows that technophobia has also grown, perhaps into more of an epidemic than ever before.
While technophobia is certainly acknowledged by many, there is also a desire to better understand where this “fear” of technology comes from, and if it stems from individuals’ feelings about technology or is a result of institutional pressure, etc. A comprehension of the underlying cause(s) of technophobia is essential to determining an effective intervention. Yvonne Lam (2000) conducted one such study and noted that a teacher’s desire to use technology or not was related to the teacher's personal belief in technology's benefits, or lack thereof, rather than to a resistance to technology. Lam’s findings suggest that “teachers are not really ‘technophobic’ and that institutions are perhaps overly ‘technophilic’ in their rush to obtain the latest innovations without considering the needs of teachers and students” (2000, p. 389). This perspective is important to keep in mind as I pursue my research. If institutional pressure to use the latest technology were indeed one of the main driving forces for the fears experienced by educators, then any intervention that would aspire to minimize technophobia would also need to account for this institutional technophilia.
Therefore, in embarking on this journey of research, I find it necessary to keep in mind a few things. For one, fear of technology is not a new phenomenon. As long as there have been computers, there have been people who were not comfortable utilizing them in class. Thus, taking into account technophobia’s affects over time may prove to be useful in determining the best interventions. Secondly, finding successful interventions will require an understanding of the underlying causes that are at work with this phobia. With these things considered, I look forward to researching technophobia, its perceived effects on technology integration, and possible interventions that may contribute to the resolution of this long-standing educational dilemma.
References
Lam, Y. (2000, March). Technophilia vs. technophobia: A preliminary look at why second-language teachers do or do not use technology in their classrooms. Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 56 (3), 389-420.
Rosen, L. D. & Weil, M. M. (1995, Spring). Computer availability, computer experience and technophobia among public school teachers. Computers in Human Behavior, 11 (1), 9-31.
No comments:
Post a Comment