The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many issues within the educational system, in both how education is delivered and received. Restrictions have necessitated the greater use of technology in education and often our education system is struggling to adapt to the new realities.
According to Dr. Sharon Jones, Ed.D, founder, and CEO of the education consultancy firm the dot., Currently, there is an imbalance of investment in education, with the bulk of investment going towards the students, while there is a lack of investment in educators, especially with regard to support in the learning and adoption of new technologies in teaching.
“I want to take away the fear of technology among educators. There is a concept, introduced by educational scholar Fred Davis, about perceived ease of use. People are more likely to use technology if they see it both as useful and easy to use. Teachers may be hesitant to use a technology that could help them and their students if they don’t perceive it as easy to use,” Jones says.
To help teachers become more open to adopting technology, Jones believes that school systems should provide them with continuous support.
“We’re missing a big chunk of support on the teachers’ side, and this is where the dot. Consulting comes in. We see a vast number of educators leaving the profession because they don't feel supported,” she says. “If you don’t invest in your people, then you cannot keep them.”
Jones says that teachers are feeling overwhelmed because so many things are happening at the same time, so teachers should be given committed and consistent support during training.
“Working with teachers should be like how we work with our students. We don't expect Kindergarten students to start reading on day one – we work with them all year until they learn to read. That mindset needs to be utilized when we're working with teachers because, just like anyone else, they have their own thought process about learning.”
While teachers may be unfamiliar with new technologies, their students may be passionate about these technologies and benefit from them being used in their schooling.
“Even though I'm not passionate about virtual reality, it doesn't mean that it does not have a huge impact on my student’s learning,” Jones said. “So, I need to understand how to embrace the technology, and look at where I can use virtual reality to support my students to grasp a concept.
Jones believes that teachers must also be provided with an environment where they are allowed to fail, which is essential in learning.
“Sometimes in our profession, we are not given that grace. There's a sense that a teacher must be perfect all the time. But with my work with teachers, I’ve found that they become relaxed when they realize that they will not be judged.”
The dot. Consulting works with schools and teachers to hold professional development workshops that come in sets of 3, providing consistency. These workshops are tailored to the type of school and technological acceptance level of the faculty, which ensures that the content is relevant and helpful to teachers. Jones and the dot. also work with schools and school districts for year-long consultancies that include monthly meetings with teachers, known as professional learning communities. The program includes planning sessions dedicated to integrating computer science and other STEM topics into the curriculum.
“Technology is not here to hinder but to help. We can grow together by finding and leveraging your personal strengths, and we can use that strength to elevate technology integration in your classroom,” Jones says.
Name: Heather Gilbert
Email: [email protected]
