I missed my first Instructional Technology class this last week, and, in true 'Abbie' fashion, I possibly picked the worst week possible. While my classmates were experimenting with electric circuits and maker spaces, I was making a boring drive to a middle of nowhere Nebraska town to talk about technology. Just like I had been doing in class every week before this. In hindsight however, I wouldn't have changed a thing.
You see, I was headed to this small town in order to interview its school's teachers and administration about their technology policies and practices, and the experience couldn't have been more intriguing. It was in this place that I was able to see how just about every concept we have discussed in this class effected an actual school, and it was amazing! The school was very proactive about technology. They debatably had one of the most 'cutting-edge' technology programs in the state, with fully implemented one-to-one policies (every student had their own chrome book), digitally controlled security systems, a trendy website, and excited teachers. The principle painted a picture of an ideal system-- one that this class would greatly benefit from learning about.
On the other hand though, the teachers I talked to gave this picture a more realistic angle. Some of them didn't use the technology properly, and some of them really didn't like it. Others were simply having a hard time keeping up with the rapidly changing policies and expectations, especially with the limited training they received. They were excited about the technology but also allowed me to see the ways in which it can also hinder education when not used correctly.
I wouldn't have changed this experience for the world. Although I was missing a really great time in class, I was able to see the ways in which the concepts we have been debating so heavily mattered. I have been having a hard time really engaging in this class and the content that we discuss because it seemed so irrelevant at times. Getting to talk to educators and have them embody and express many of the concerns and ideas we have talked about though really helped me realize how important understanding technology is.
Like you when I completed my tech survey I was totally surprised by how advanced my school was. I completed my survey where I used to go to high school and expected everything to be the same, and this was definitely not the case. I was thinking since the school I attended was a small rural school their technology use would be way less than the school I did my practicum in. It was the exact reverse though!
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