 |
|
|
|
There are more computers in the nation's schools than ever before. But a first-of-its kind survey commissioned by the Milken Exchange on Education Technology and completed by Education Week shows that teachers struggle to find high-quality software and Web sites to use for their classes.
Six in 10 teachers who search for educational software say it is "somewhat" or "very" difficult to find products to meet their classroom needs, according to the survey. Five in
10 teachers say the same thing about educational Web sites.
Results of the survey - the most comprehensive analysis to date of teachers' use of educational software and Web sites - are included in Education Week's third annual report on education technology, Technology Counts '99: Building the Digital Curriculum. The reports are underwritten by the Milken Exchange.
"It's not enough to have computers in the classroom," says Virginia B. Edwards, the editor of Education Week, American education's newspaper of record. "They need to
be used in ways that help students learn. This survey shows that many teachers are having trouble finding the right software and Web sites to make that happen."
Adds Cheryl L. Lemke, the executive director of the Milken Exchange: "It's like establishing a highway system and neglecting to provide gas stations. Quality digital content is high-octane Internet fuel for learning."
The survey of 1,407 teachers also found that only 53 percent of teachers use software to enhance instruction in their classroom, and only 61 percent use the Internet.
Training plays a critical role in how teachers use educational software and Web sites, or "digital content," the survey shows. Teachers who have more technology training are more likely to use digital content in their classrooms, feel better prepared to use it, and rely on it more heavily than teachers with less training.
Seven in 10 high school teachers who search for software said it was "somewhat" or "very" difficult to find products suited to their classroom needs, compared with four in 10 pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade teachers who said the same.
Training Matters
The survey affirms repeatedly the importance of professional development in technology. In fact, whether teachers receive such training has a much greater effect on their use of digital content than how long they have been teaching.
One popular misconception is that newer teachers are more likely to use education technology than their veteran peers simply because they grew up with computers. The
Education Week survey shows, however, that teachers who have been teaching for more than 20 years are just as likely to use digital content for instruction as those who have been teaching for five or fewer years.
Not all types of technology training are equal.
Teachers were asked about two kinds of professional development: training in "basic technology skills," such as word processing or navigating the Web, and more advanced training in "integrating technology into the curriculum."
In every category measured by the survey, training teachers in how to integrate technology into the curriculum was more helpful than simply showing them how the technology works. Providing both kinds of training was the most effective strategy of all.
Unfortunately, however, on the whole teachers receive less curriculum-integration training than basic-skills training.
Other Barriers
One reason many teachers have trouble finding digital content is that they're overwhelmed by the number of educational software titles and Web sites they can choose from, only a small percentage of which are of high quality, according to Technology Counts '99. Not only do teachers have to identify the best of what's available, but they also have to make sure the software or Web sites they select match the curriculum they're required to teach.
The survey suggests that many teachers don't know where to turn for this information. Only 12 percent of teachers say their state or district provides lists of software titles that match the curriculum, and 28 percent say their state or district provides opportunities to preview software.
Beyond the challenges of selecting digital content, the survey identifies several other barriers that inhibit teachers from making better use of it.
One barrier is the number of computers available to teachers in their classrooms. In classrooms with one or two computers, four in 10 teachers say they rely on digital content to a "moderate" or "great" extent. In classrooms with six or more computers, the figure rises to nearly seven in 10 teachers.
Other challenges cited by teachers include the cost of educational software and lack of time to prepare or try out software and Web sites.
National and State-by-State Data
In addition to the survey on digital content, Technology Counts '99 also includes the latest national and state-by-state data on technology in schools.
The digital divide is even more pronounced in students' homes. Only 20 percent of students whose households earn less than $30,000 a year have a computer at home, compared with 80 percent of students whose households earn $75,000 or more.
Education Week is owned and operated by Editorial Projects in Education, a Bethesda, Md.-based nonprofit organization. Copies of Technology Counts '99 are available for $6 each from Education Week by calling (800) 346-1834.
Education Market Research, which contributed data to this report, has also published a report on the digital content survey and its findings. To order the report, which costs $595, call (718) 474-0133.
| |
|
