Technology in schools is here to stay, but some school staff
aren't getting what they need to make it work

Technology is great, right?

Even an abbreviated list shows some of its potential in schools: software that gives students practice on everything from basic skills to complex, interactive simulations; Web sites full of information on every conceivable topic for research by students as well as teachers; e-mail to open up communication between and among teachers, students, parents and the broader world; and programs to help with paperwork drudgery such as tracking grades and attendance, to mention some of the obvious ones.

The momentum behind technology in schools is apparent--districts have invested heavily in computers, especially in the past few years. Schools nationwide spent about $88 per student on computers and other technology last year, and more than 90 percent of schools today have Internet access, reports the U.S. Department of Education.

So what's the downside? The first time a student or teacher turns on the machine and it won't boot up, or it won't run that great new software program because it isn't powerful enough, or the technician can't make it to your school for two weeks because so many other computers in the district aren't working, or teachers haven't had a chance to get comfortable with the great new graphics program for their class.... You get the idea. If anything, the list of challenges outweighs the opportunities.

But the bottom line is that technology is in our schools, and it's here to stay. Your task is to help make sure that computers don't end up gathering dust because they're too much trouble to use effectively.

The 30 percent solution

Well-run corporations know that technology is more than hardware; the corporate rule of thumb is to allocate about one-third of a technology budget to be spent on training and support. Schools, by contrast, spend only about 5 percent of their technology dollars in these areas, according to the CEO Forum, which monitors technology in schools. So if there's one straightforward route to more effective use of technology in schools, it is to boost professional development budgets.

"You have to provide lots and lots of training for teachers," says Terri Austin, a former teacher and AFT member in Anderson, Ind., who now directs the Anderson Community Technology Now! project. "We've really had to grow our own training," she explains, because a lot of what's available from outside consultants isn't very good and doesn't address the district's specific needs.

This year, the Anderson schools will have three teachers on full-time release for special assignment as curriculum, instruction and technology facilitators. That title, rather than the more traditional technology lead teacher, indicates what Anderson and other school systems that have spent a lot of time thinking about technology have discovered: Technology as a tool is only useful when its connects to what students are supposed to be learning and ultimately helps them learn more.

With a less strategic approach, many schools end up like Morris Elementary in New Orleans, where United Teachers of New Orleans/AFT member Ana Chea is the technology lead teacher. Her school has a computer lab (but no coordinator to run it), lots of teachers who don't have much experience with technology and haven't been trained, and Chea herself as almost the sole source of support and training in the school. "No matter how many computers you put in schools, if teachers don't get into the habit of using them, children will not really use them either," says Chea, one of the AFT's 1999 Robert G. Porter Scholarship winners. Like many technology teachers, she ends up spending too much of her time on maintenance and troubleshooting, rather than helping her colleagues integrate technology into their classrooms. "Teachers shouldn't have to fix problems; they should only be there to teach," she adds.

To cite a fairly typical example, the American School Board Journal reports that the Chicago public school system has a central team of six computer technicians, which means each one is responsible for 93 schools.

Assuming the best-case scenario--plenty of up-to-date machines, reliable Internet connections, sufficient training--it's still a daunting task to figure out how to integrate computers into a job that has been built around textbooks, workbooks, and paper and pencil.

The Anderson schools, Austin notes, have largely moved away from using prepackaged software--in part because much of it is "nothing more than electronic ditto sheets," she says--and tried to get teachers and students to harness some of the vast potential of the Internet. For educators, one of the best things technology can do is "break down the isolation that teachers experience on a day-to-day basis with 25 kids in a room by themselves," she says. Using e-mail to communicate with other teachers and subject-matter experts, electronic discussion groups and bulletin boards, video conferencing and the like all can help. "We need to be thinking about technology's role in supporting the development of professional communities among teachers," Austin points out.

When teachers and students begin using the Internet for research and resources, one difficulty they face is knowing where to find high-quality material. Just like any other instructional materials, teachers need to know whether something is really based on solid research or simply sounds good. One good place to start is with the Web sites of the U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov) and its research laboratories, as well as any of the ERIC clearinghouses.

Austin believes that technology won't be used effectively in schools unless educators can develop a "vision." This includes a clear sense of why it's being used, how it supports teaching and learning, and how it connects to other needed school reforms. Just as important, districts have to establish an environment where teachers feel comfortable taking risks as they learn to use new technology. "Otherwise," Austin cautions, "you'll just end up replicating what you already do."

American Federation of Teachers, AFL•CIO - 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW - Washington, DC 20001