The Learnal

Given the potential of technology to enhance teaching and learning, there is little surprise that schools have been investing in technology. Unfortunately, technology has been and continues to be an expensive and ongoing investment. Recent federal mandates and public demand have led to increasing pressures on schools to show results and to justify such heavy expenses as technology. Sandy Grove Elementary has followed national trends in its recognition of technology’s potential, its increasing investment, and its need to justify this expense with hard evidence. Sandy Grove is still in the early stages of its evaluation process and currently there is little hard data on the impact of program efforts on teaching and learning. This purpose of this study, then, is to gather an early assessment of where Sandy Grove stands in its current efforts to integrate technology into the classroom, what impact these efforts were having on teachers and students, and what is needed to move forward. In order to assess the technology needs of Sandy Grove Elementary, a survey of Sandy Grove’s educators was conducted using School Technology Needs Assessment (STNA). Findings from the survey suggest that while the technology resources are in place, the human resources have yet to be fully developed. 

 

Perhaps the most intuitively obvious need for schools to utilize technology is simply the presence of and access to the technology resources themselves. Some of the key questions identified by the U.S. Department of Education (2002) for assessing technology in schools ask whether the equipment is present, is it available to staff and students, and are personnel available to proved technical support. The state of North Carolina has likewise provided access and infrastructure guidelines for successfully implementing technology in schools through its IMPACT model for media and technology programs adopted through the state’s technology plan (Public Schools of North Carolina, 2007). These include providing technology resources, providing barrier free access to technology resources, and providing support staff to maintain equipment and assist with technical questions. The necessity of these components is further documented in the literature (ISTE, 2002; North Central Regional Education Laboratory, 2000; Milken Exchange, 1998; Benton Foundation, 2003).

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I’ve recently been toying with the idea of combing my research project with my school newsletter by using the interviews I plan to conduct to collect data as source material for weekly articles that highlight our technology using teachers. I thought that rather than wait for the thesis to be written, my ongoing findings could be shared immediately with the staff through the use of an online blog and/or our school newsletter. Perhaps this would also stimulate conversations regarding the use of technology an help me indirectly gather data while providing a teachers a venue for ongoing discussion. If this is to happen, I really need to start my literature review so I can begin developing my questionnaire.

The last post prompted a few question which in turn snowballed into a slew of questions that either need to be addressed before I begin my research or I would like answer as a result of my research. Some of theses questions ended up being rather redundant, but others will prompt some serious inquiry that will help get this thesis out of port.

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