We have reached a point in our lives that would seem impossible to previous generations, thanks to the technological improvements that have bettered our daily lives. We have also seen the rise of Educational Technology, Edtech, around the world during the last few years; however, most of those solutions are still lacking in most schools around the globe. It disappoints me that today’s teachers still use realia, photocopies, and plain books to teach Gen Z students, the so-called “Digital natives”, who were born with a smartphone on the one hand and a mouse on the other. A variety of issues are to blame for this situation.
Unexpected drawbacks
Lessons are interrupted by regular negotiations that reduce lesson time. This is related to sudden technical issues such as power shortage, insufficiently charged devices, system failures, poor internet connection, etc. Slow or unstable Internet connection is one of the main reasons certain apps that require WiFi connectivity are not used.
Lesson planning is critical for educational technology
Digital technology training and preparing lessons to include new technologies can also be time-consuming. Therefore, educators need to be well prepared and need to have a backup plan in case an unexpected drawback happens that will prevent them from using technology. Besides they need to adapt their lesson plan and find ways for practical classroom implementation of the tech tool since there aren’t many pre-made lesson plans or guides that take into consideration the use of technology.
Teacher beliefs
Some educators, especially those who belong to generations older than Millennials, fail to understand or accept the usefulness of the various technological advancements in education, preferring a more traditional approach in their teaching. They firmly believe that the learning goals can be achieved via the way they were taught, refusing to evolve as professionals because of either fear of the unknown or disbelief about the profitableness of using technology in school. Even tech-savvy teachers encounter resistance from their colleagues who are not so keen to adopt tech tools.
Teacher professional development and support
Even if teachers decide to use technological tools in their teaching, they often get discouraged when they find a solution and realise that they have no idea how to implement it in their classroom.
Teachers need access to technological equipment for classroom implementation and have to keep up with continuous technological advances. This needs to be regular, scaffolded and continual. Yet, the allocation of professional learning resources and teacher training events has been reported as sporadic in scope and quality. As a result, teachers have to undertake regular consultancy or training sessions that will help them enhance their skills.
Inadequate trainers
It should also be emphasised that teacher training programs should be conducted by professionals who possess the necessary skills and can combine both pedagogical and technological knowledge. Training shouldn’t be generic but specific by providing crystal clear practices on using technology to improve one’s teaching. This will create educators with high TPACK value, eventually improving their students’ performance. Training needs to be delivered by pedagogical experts who can give teachers hands-on experience using technology to learn.
Lack of budget or infrastructure
Many schools struggle in providing the necessary tools for teachers who are keen on implementing technology into the learning process. This is because buying new hardware or software requires a substantial amount of money that schools can’t provide. This leads inspired teachers to empty their own pockets, trying to achieve much without having the financial support required for the task. Schools need to invest in tech implementation, and the only way to do this, is by allocating a sum of money for this purpose.
Epilogue
Implementing new technology can be frightening on so many levels. If educational technologists fail to demonstrate the benefits of classroom technology to schools, teachers may view Educational Technology as an inconvenience rather than a necessity. In addition, without holistic improvements to teacher support and training that address the many issues teachers face, there’s the risk of creating a generation of ill-prepared students for a digital future.