Critical Issue Promoting Technology Use In Schools Education Essay

Critical Issue Promoting Technology Use In Schools Education Essay Although there has been a strong push to get educational technology into the hands of teachers and students, many obstacles to implementation still exist. Equipment may not be placed in easily accessible locations. Hardware and software often pose problems for teachers in the classroom, and just-in-time technical support may be unavailable. Teachers may lack the time and the motivation to learn technology skills. Professional development activities may not provide ongoing, hands-on training for teachers or practical strategies for implementing technology into lesson plans. Initial technology funding may not be sustained and thus not capable of providing upgrades, maintenance, and ongoing professional development. Fortunately, these obstacles can be addressed and overcome. This Critical Issue provides practical information for promoting technology use in schools. OVERVIEW: The push to provide technology in schools has been successful in recent years. According to Goldman, Cole, and Syer (2000), most schools have computer labs and many have computers in every classroom. More than 90 percent of all schools are connected to the Internet, and more than 33 percent of teachers have Internet access in their classrooms. Yet teachers readily admit that they are not making as much use of technology as they could. According to an Education Week survey, nearly 30 percent of teachers said their students use computers only one hour per week; nearly 40 percent said their students do not use computers in the classroom at all (Trotter, 2001). Although technology is more prevalent in the schools, several factors affect whether and how it is used. Those factors include placement of computers for equitable access, technical support, effective goals for technology use, new roles for teachers, time for ongoing professional development, appropriate coaching of teac hers at different skill levels, teacher incentives for use, availability of educational software, and sustained funding for technology. Placing Computers for Equitable Access Access to technology is an important issue for teachers and students. Although schools may have computers available, one factor that determines their use is where those computers are located. If computers are connected to the Internet but are not in a convenient location, the availability to students and teachers will be limited. Across the case study sites, there were five different strategies for allocating computers for student use:  · Distribution among the regular classrooms  · Computers in labs  · Mobile computer labs  · Incremental roll-out  · School-within-a-school The standard computer lab is commonly used in schools. If the use of the computer lab is carefully scheduled, it will provide high equipment utilization; on the other hand, keeping the computers in one place may be a barrier to using them on a continual but intermittent basis as a part of the curriculum. Some schools prefer to place computers in the regular classroom. These computers often are distributed through incremental rollout. In incremental rollout, technology is given to a limited number of classrooms at first and then expanded to an additional classroom each year. Sometimes the computers are distributed on a grade-by-grade basis with primary grades first and upper grades later receiving the most up-to-date equipment. This approach requires continual, yearly funding. Some schools have chosen to start with their Internet connection in the school library. This location necessitates that the library-media specialist is aware of educational sites to supplement students classroom activities. The library-media specialist also needs to work with teachers and the technology specialist to determine the best use of the equipment. In situations where software also is a limited commodity, the school library may house and catalog the software, as is done with other educational materials. This situation makes the software available to all teachers and allows teachers flexibility in assigning work to students. Whatever decisions are made on allocation of equipment, it is imperative that all staff members are included in the decision making and that long-term plans are made for acquisition and upgrading of materials. Such collaborative decision making and planning helps ensure staff buy-in, equity of access, and effective use of technology in teaching and learning. Providing Technical Support Without continuous technical support, technology integration in the classroom will never be satisfactorily achieved (Bailey Pownell, 2002). Most teachers have heard horror stories about equipment failure, software complexity, data loss, embarrassments, and frustration. They dont want to be left hanging with 30 students wondering why nothing is working the way it is supposed to be. When teachers are trying to use technology in their classrooms and they encounter difficulties, they need immediate help and support. Providing Time for Ongoing Professional Development Learning the new roles and ways of teaching that go hand-in-hand with technology integration requires that teachers have opportunities to participate in an extended process of professional development. Teachers need time to acquire technology skills and develop new teaching strategies for integrating technology into the classroom. Except for occasional in-service programs, teachers often have no time built into the school day for their own professional development. When professional development activities are conducted after school, teachers may not have the energy necessary for engaging in learning. Burgos (2001) notes, The research on staff development tells us that its least effective when its done at the end of the school day. Some researchers suggest that the ideal time for teachers to participate in professional development activities is during the summer, when students are not a consideration and teachers do not have as many demands on their time. But teachers are more likely to apply new instructional strategies if they receive feedback and support while trying the new strategies in their classrooms. Coaching Teachers at Different Skill Levels A school may be home to educators with a wide variety of skill levels in technology: computer gurus anxious to put the capabilities of the newest hardware and software to use; moderate technocrats, who implement basic computerized tasks; and the technologically limited. The problem faced by administrators and professional development staff of such a school is providing adequate training to bring all teachers to an adequate level of technical expertise so learning goals can be met. After the teachers skill levels are identified, administrators, teachers, and the technology specialist can brainstorm to determine what support and resources teachers need to advance to the next stage. Teachers can develop personal plans for professional development that include goals for using technology. These professional development plans can be competency driven, identifying specific areas where technology can be used effectively; they can specify outcomes to be achieved using technology, such as implementing specific projects with students; and they can list software applications that should be mastered by specific dates. By putting individual goals in writing, these plans formalize teachers commitment to using technology in the classroom, states Tenbusch (2002). Choosing Appropriate Software One barrier to technology integration is the difficulty many teachers face in finding and using appropriate software for instruction (Glenn, 2003). Teachers at novice or apprenticeship stages of technology integration may need guidance in locating multimedia software and Internet sites to support the schools learning goals, either because they are unfamiliar with these media or because they feel overwhelmed by the profusion of software on the market and sites on the Internet. Lack of time and experience to make good decisions about what particular products or sites have the potential of fostering learning goals can make technology integration a frightening prospect. Glenn (2003) succinctly summarizes the challenge: Problems exist with finding and using appropriate software or courseware for instruction. The number of high-quality curriculum materials has increased, and there is a wider variety; however, creating innovative learning opportunities for all students remains a fundamental challenge and elusive for far too many teachers. GOALS:  · The schools technology plan clearly identifies learning goals to be achieved through technology.  · Technology supports the instructional learning goals. It is integrated into instruction in meaningful ways so that it contributes to the attainment of high standards by all students.  · Technology is used for challenging, long-term projects that promote students higher-order thinking skills instead of merely for drill-and-practice programs to improve basic skills.  · All students have opportunities to use a variety of technologies to support their work on authentic tasks.  · All technology is in operable condition and is being used effectively and to the maximum extent possible.  · Just-in-time technology support is available for teachers and students.  · There is a flexibility in managing the technology to ensure that all students and teachers have equity of access.  · Professional development is considered an important part of the technology plan and the technology budget.  · The professional development component of the technology plan ensures that every teacher has allotted time throughout the school year for professional development relating to technology and its integration into the classroom.  · Professional development in technology is directly applicable to the classroom situation.  · A diverse portfolio is in place to ensure that funding is available to support technology and ongoing professional development. Administrators:  · Pursue funding strategies to provide the necessary technology, professional development, technical support, equipment upgrades, and equipment maintenance to achieve educational goals.  · Develop strategies for ensuring equitable use of education technology for all students and teachers.  · Acknowledge the benefits of plugging educators into technology improved student performance, increased student motivation, lower student absenteeism, and higher teacher morale.  · Understand the implications of preparing teachers for the Digital Age.  · Ensure that the school is providing professional development for effective technology use.  · Determine expectations for teachers in regard to their use of technology in their classrooms. Develop strategies for teaching the teachers and eventually winning teachers over.  · Read about technology implementation strategies in Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection.  · Provide all teachers and administrators with an Internet e-mail address. Use e-mail for all school announcements.  · Provide a networked computer on the desk of every teacher and administrator.  · Provide all teachers with on-site training in technology use. Ensure that teachers have adequate time to practice new skills, explore software, and become proficient with the schools technology.  · Involve teachers in identifying and pursuing technology professional development that is appropriate to their needs and skills.  · Encourage teachers to set their own technology integration goals as part of their individual professional development plans.  · Ensure that adequate technical support is available.  · Address any problems that arise with new uses of technology in the classroom quickly and efficiently.  · Use a variety of time and monetary incentives as well as job requirements that encourage teachers to use technology in their classrooms. o Provide release time for teachers to participate in technology professional development activities during the school day. o Pay for additional professional development activities, such as outside conferences and workshops that address specific classroom technology issues. o Pay teachers to act as technology mentors for teachers with novice technology skills. o Provide classroom-embedded mentoring, tutoring, and follow-up activities. o Financially reward teachers for designing good instructional uses of technology. o As an additional incentive, offer technology for classroom or personal use: laptop computers, technology equipment, and software. o Make teachers base pay contingent upon participation of technology professional development. o Include technological competence as one aspect of teacher evaluation. o Tie job security to technology professional development by adding technology competence to teacher evaluation, requiring technology-related professional development for contract renewal, or making technology professional development a requirement for re-certification.  · Periodically visit classrooms to determine teachers technology needs and to observe and encourage their integration strategies.  · Provide opportunities for teachers to observe effective technology use in other classes or schools.  · Recognize teacher successes with technology. Share these stories with the school and the community. Encourage teachers to share their successes with colleagues at conferences.  · Participate in professional development programs, study groups, and other technology activities with teachers and other staff members.

Cry The Beloved Country :: Cry the Beloved Country Essays

Cry The Beloved Country      Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of it all. Let him not love the earth to deeply. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give to much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he lives too much. Yes cry, cry, the beloved country      Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton was a magnificent work of art and my words alone would do it an injustice. Its pages echo with the dirge of a battered country that has suffered far too much for far to long. The book takes you to South Africa, where the land itself is the essence of a man. It as if the mountains, soaring high above the clouds, are the high moments in life, and the valleys are those low and suffering times. Next, you will take a journey to a place called Johannesburg. While reading the pages, begin to envision Johannesburg being a polluted, very unkind, and rushed city. The setting is more of a emotional setting than a physical setting. As I stated it takes place in South Africa, 1946. This is a time where racial discrimination is at an all time high. The black community of this land is trying to break free from the white people, but having little success. It is this so called racism that is essential to the setting of the story. Without it, the book would no t have as much of an impact as it does. The story begins, as many great stories have begun, with a solitary man taking a long and dangerous journey to a distant land. The man is an Anglican Zulu priest, Rev. Stephen Kumalo, and the journey is to the white-ran Johannesburg in 1946. Like a weary prophet taking a biblical sojourn to Sodom, Kumalo is seeking out lost members of his family who have left the townships for the lights of the big city. He is looking for his sister Gertrude, who has become a prostitute: and mostly, his son Absalom, who has disappeared into the darkness as surely as the original Absalom of the Old Testament was lost to King David. Once he arrives, the nave Kumalo is immediately robbed, and it isnt until he finds the enigmatic but helpful Father Msimangu that he is able to begin his search, a search that will change his life forever.

Rice by Manuel Arguilla Essay

I. Writers Background He was born in Barrio Naguilian in Bauang, La Union on June 17, 1911. He was the fourth child of Crisanto Arguilla and Margarita Estabillo, hard-working farmer folk who owned a small piece of land. Aside from being a farmer, his father was also a carpenter; his mother, on the other hand, was an occasional potter. When he was seven years old, he enrolled in a school in the neighbouring Barrio Calumbaya, where he was taught the cartilla by Alfredo Abuan. Later, he transferred to the public elementary school in Bauang, La Union and graduated in 1926. Arguilla was a brilliant and active student. Aside from excelling in academics at the provincial high school in San Fernando, he edited as well the school’s official organ, the La Union Tab. A wide reader, he won in a vocabulary contest held in the school. He was a champion swimmer and an expert tango dancer, constantly winning in dance contests. He was known to have a â€Å"therapeutic† personality and was well-loved by everyone he knew; for he liked to listen to people tell him their stories. Anything that interested him became an almost intrinsic part of him. It took him only three years to complete his secondary education, graduating as class salutatorian in high school. In 1926, he entered the University of the Philippines. While studying, he worked as a writer and printing assistant at the Carmelo and Bauermann office. He became a member of the UP Writers Club, and eventually led it in the school year 1932-1933. He also came to edit the Literary Apprentice. In 1933, he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Science in education. During the same period, he married Lydia Villanueva, another aspiring writer. After graduating, he taught at the University of Manila while working at the Bureau of Public Welfare. The Arguillas’ home along M.H. Del Pilar in Manila became a sanctuary for friends and fellow writers, such as Estrella Alfon, Jose Garcia Villa, N.V.M. Gonzales and A.V.H. Hartendorp. Arguilla did not remain a teacher for long for he believed that writers were born, not made, and that a talent for writing was an innate attribute that could never be taught or acquired. Before leaving his students, he counselled them to just read volumes of stories. In 1940, he became the managing editor of the Bureau of Welfare newsletter, the Welfare Advocate. He worked at the Bureau for three years until the latter half of 1943. By then, the country had been under Japanese occupation for two years. He was appointed to the Board of Censors and was asked to serve in the Japanese propaganda agency. But Arguilla had also just become an agent of the Markings Guerillas. Thus, while apparently working for the Japanese, he was actually heading the â€Å"Porch,† the Markings’ counter-intelligence and propaganda unit operating in Manila. It was not long before the enemy discovered his guerrilla activities, and subsequently, had him arrested in February 1944. Along with his mother and a few relatives, he was incarcerated to Fort Santiago. His wife was initially unaware of his arrest but later, was able to evade the dragnet. After two months, Arguilla’s mother and relatives were released, while he was transferred to the Old Bilibid Prisons. Later, after being tortured and subjected to a sham trial, he was brought back to Fort Santiago for execution. Arguilla the writer often portrayed the life of the ordinary Filipino, usually the rural Ilocano, in his more than 50 short stories that have permanently enriched Philippine Literature. The critic Leopoldo Y. Yabes cited him as â€Å"the best craftsman among Filipino fictionists in English, (whose voice) is the only really authentic voice. He is shamelessly Filipino.† His stories are still considered unrivalled in his depiction of the life of the Ilocano farmer. In the prime of his life, Arguilla died a hero’s death. Yet he would not be forgotten. On June 12, 1972, Arguilla was honoured with a posthumous award, the republic Cultural Heritage Award. He was cited for producing literary works that have â€Å"continued to influence Filipino fiction writing†¦ and literary scholarship.† In his honour, a marker was installed in his hometown on August 25, 1983. II. Synopsis An afternoon on a hut with a tamarind tree beside it, Pablo, an old farmer, came from the farm and unhitched his carabao upon its empty sled and began to feed it with a grass. Then, he called her wife, Sebia, from their hut but no one answers him. He goes to the neighbourhood to ask if they’ve seen Sebia and his children but Osiang, their neighbour, seems not hearing what Mang Pablo is asking and give a question back regarding his husband Andres. Later sometime Osing told Mang Pablo that his wife and three children went to the creek for some snails. Mang Pablo reminisce the scenario later that morning when he with the several other tenants driven with their sleds to the house of the senora to borrow some grains. But as they go changes come, their usual tersiohan system on borrowing became takipan meaning the amount that they borrow becomes double at harvest time. His co-tenants refuse for this is too much and can’t even know if they can pay it exactly at the time given. In the end everyone leave with an empty sled and will come home without any rice to eat. Then, Osiang’s voice broke the silence. Asking if he had already cooked their rice and offered him pieces of coal. When he is about to go back home Andres came and give a sign telling he must wait for him. Andres – dark, broad and squat man, wearing a printed camisa de chino appeared asking Mang Pablo if he is coming with them. Mang Pablo advice he not to continue this because they will commit stealing but Andres together with other men is desperate. As he turned, he had seen wife and three children and was accompanied with a man. The man told him that they are fishing in the fields but Sebia disagreed and told him that they are just gathering some snails. Then, the watchman told Mang Pablo that they must pay five cavanes. Sebia is asking for the rice but Mang Pablo told him that there is no rice while looking in his hungry children seeing weakness and pain then he asks for his bolo joining Andres and together they walked to the house of Eli.

The Reality Of The Television Show Friends - 1385 Words

Friends is a popular American television show that aired on NBC. The show first aired on September 22nd 1995 and the last episode aired on May 6th 2004. The show lasted ten years, which covered two decades, and covered a lot of what is considered to be America’s culture today. The producers of the show wanted to represent what people’s lives of that age and time were like on a daily basis; the purposelessness, the non-stop coffee drinking, the quest for spouses, and the feeling that they were â€Å"stuck in second gear,† as the theme song says. In this paper I argue that the television show Friends, presents typical stereotypes that are exposed throughout the show but specifically through genders roles, race and style. Most young people,†¦show more content†¦It follows from that that they make frequent use of stereotypes, which are a typical source of humor, and can commonly be found in another more or less distant ancestor of sitcoms, â€Å"commedia dell arte† (Picouly). However, in recent years stereotypes in the media have been heavily criticized due to using the humor in the wrong ways. Media and entertainment have to be mindful when poking jokes because there is a fine line that cannot be passed. (Picouly). From the moment any individual is born, they are subject to strict gender roles that they are expected to conform to immediately in order to be accepted by society. Personal beliefs about the differences in gender traits and behavior come from socialization (Chandler Munday). Some stereotypical characteristics of being â€Å"masculine† include, being strong, tall, non emotional and competitive. Some stereotypical characteristics of being feminine include, being emotional, dependent, sensitive, overdramatic and nurturing (Heilman). The characters in Friends demonstrate how gender roles affect the way they view themselves, interact with the people around them and their every day lives. 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