Like most districts, we want our teachers to have access to powerful instructional technology. And, like most districts, technology purchases for us have been made with a mix of limited district funds, some grants, and site categorical funds. This has led to a situation where there are haves and have nots in terms of access to instructional technology. A recent grant allowing for most of our math classes to have access to Promethean Boards caused our teachers of other subjects and grade levels to ask about access to these powerful technology tools. When we took an inventory of the technological tools available to our teachers, we were surprised at the discrepancies across the district. Our classrooms ran the gamut from full Promethean tools with document cameras to a single overhead projector sitting in a corner. We realized we had a serious equity problem.
Our model of allowing sites to drive the educational technology available in classrooms had created a situation where student and teacher access technology varied dramatically. A student could experience a relatively rich or embarrassingly poor access to technology tools depending on the luck of what teacher he/she was assigned to. It was possible for students to spend their entire K-8 careers having only had access to teachers with an overhead projector. Or they could be the lucky ones that had teachers with state-of-the-art technology. This unacceptable situation led us to initiate our Tech Equity Project for teachers.
Utilizing a highly motivated Tech Vision Team, we developed minimum standards for technology for teachers. After much discussion, it was decided that each classroom should be equipped with a teacher laptop, sound system, smart projector and document camera. Funding for equipment would come from excess bond funds. Sites agreed to pay for maintenance, repairs and supplies with the funds they were allocating previously to purchase hardware. Our Tech Vision Team members offered to provide the necessary professional development at their sites in exchange for access to new technologies. After much planning, meeting with vendors, and individual meetings with teachers and principals, our vision will be realized when teachers return from Winter break.
The next step in our vision will be the issue of equity of student access. We have the same problem of haves and have nots with student technology. Our goal will be to have all classrooms with an internet device available for all students within the next two years. Whether that device will be a notebook, netbook, or tablet has yet to be decided.
The other big issue for us is whether our teachers will utilize all of this technology in powerful ways to improve student achievement. One thing is certain. No one will implement technology they do not have. We are looking forward to the next steps in our journey. Parent, teacher, and community support for our Tech Equity Initiative has been overwhelmingly positive.
It is hard to believe that summer is almost over. Like most districts in California, ours has been under intense fiscal pressure due to ongoing budget cuts. This influence, coupled with increasing expectations for student achievement, led us to redesign our summer school options. We now have an opportunity to reflect and evaluate the merits of our decisions.
During the late 1980’s, while working on my Masters in Educational Computing degree at Pepperdine University, I came across this quotation:
How does technology get adopted in the classroom? Typically, of course, it doesn’t.