The EdTech Roundup
Connect:
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Editorials & Press
  • Ed Tech Sites
  • Lesson Plans
    • Elementary
    • Secondary
  • Former Weekly Podcast
  • About Me
  • Contact

Guest Post | Why Teachers Are Afraid of Mobile Technology and How to Address Their Concerns

1/28/2017

0 Comments

 
Author: Na’ama Y. Rosenberg 
Picture
There have been many drastic changes to the business of education in the past number of years. The advent of 21st Century Learning has catapulted teachers into a new sphere of teaching and decidedly out of their comfort zones. Integrating technology in a classroom takes more than bandwidth; it takes an understanding and comfort with what technology is capable of doing – and what it isn’t. 

There is a plethora of ed-tech software options available today, and school administrators are emphasizing increased teacher use of these platforms. Fluency in the use of assorted programs and operating systems takes practice, and educators cling to the familiarity of traditional teaching methods. Additionally, not only are there new gadgets to distract children with, there are programs for everything, and it can be a challenge to determine which ones will best integrate with your personal teaching style.

​Learning management systems, homework websites such as Haiku, parent connection portals like ParentLocker and Moodle, and content programs like MathXL or Amplify take an investment of time and energy before successful implementation of the technology in the classroom.

Undoubtedly, it takes time to familiarize oneself with new programs and what they can do, how they are used, and what role they are to play in teaching. Teachers have been working diligently to catch up to the digital age, taking professional development classes, watching tutorials, connecting with colleagues and just using the “new stuff”. The response from students and parents has been overwhelmingly positive with the integration of ed-tech into the classroom, and teachers have been seeing improvements as well.

Without a doubt, teachers appreciate sites like Turnitin, which cuts down on plagiarism in record time. However, adding mobile technology to this mix has created a whole different dimension; one that teachers are, frankly, hesitant to embrace - and often with good reason.

From a teachers’ perspective, technology is a useful tool – as long as there are boundaries. Most classroom applications come with a teacher’s dashboard – they can see who is logged in, what work they are doing, whether they completed their assignments, etc. Even when using tablet computers in the classroom, students enter a virtual classroom where the teacher is in control of the activity. By allowing students to work on their individual phones, the fear is that all semblance of control will be lost and that teachers might have no way of knowing whether a student is working on task.

One of the most basic criteria in a successful classroom is called “classroom management” – that is to say, how well the teacher coordinates the activity during the lesson. Are the students on task? Are they engaged? Do they know what to do? Are they behaving? Many fear that removing the reins from a teacher’s hands and allowing students to break off into individual workstations to work on their phones, the ability to control the classroom will be fractured.

Many wonder, what is the point of these educational mobile apps, if teachers are unable to use them because of these fears? Thankfully, internet access at school has evolved immensely and has sophisticated filter systems, meaning students can only access appropriate learning material, and can’t veer off onto social media sites.  Effective classroom management can also provide a learning environment where there is a trust system between student and teacher with things like student learning contracts. In a learning contract, the teacher spells out expectations for conduct, and the student, parent, and teacher all sign it. This provides a level of professionalism that students are responsive to because it makes them feel respected.

Setting clear and defined expectations in the classroom is one of the best ways to ensure that students are adhering to acceptable behavioral standards. Most importantly, though, when ed-tech software is used effectively in the classroom, students are excited to use it, and have no desire to stray from the activity. Such as, in the new Voki app, kids are able to design their own avatar and use a virtual version of themselves to create topical presentations. Engaging ed-tech apps like this one keep kids interested and eager to participate in lessons.

There are good reasons why teachers are afraid of mobile technology – and not all of it is from a general sense of technophobia. However, once these concerns are addressed, teachers will likely be happy to embrace mobile technology and add it to their arsenal.  Administrators who encourage their teachers to allow mobile app use in the classroom will meet less resistance when companies who create the mobile apps address these hesitations head on, and provide solutions to combat common teacher fears.

About the Author:
Na’ama Y. Rosenberg is a former educator and school administrator, and is currently the Director of Content Development at Voki, an EdTech tool that allows teachers and students to create their very own digital talking avatar.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Editorials

    Here you can find the Round Up's collection of editorial pieces and press releases where we will discuss the latest trends and ideas in educational technology


    Picture

    Featured

    Picture
    Check out our featured review | ClassroomAPP: A Complete, K-12 Digital Platform for Online and In-Person Classrooms

    Teach.com

    Connect


    Awards

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

           
​Except where noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Picture

Copyright 2020 | Mike Karlin, Ph.D.