The Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission, a non-governmental organization exploring the opportunity to use technology to improve education in the United States, recently released the results of a poll on the opinions of teachers and parents about educational technology in K-12 education. Findings include:
- 96% of teachers and 92% of parents believe that schools’ integration of technology in teaching and learning is important to the education of American students today;
- 61% of teachers and 63% of parents responded that the country is somewhat or far behind the curve when it comes to American public schools’ use of technology in education; and
- 89% of teachers and 76% of parents would choose to spend $200 per student for an Internet-connected device over $200 per student for new science textbooks.
So What?
According to both the survey respondents and educational experts, educational technology will be increasingly important in the coming decade. Despite this widespread recognition, the survey found that “82% of teachers believe that they are not receiving the necessary training to use technology to its fullest potential in the classroom.” Ensuring that educational technology is leveraged well requires investment in both the technology and the training to incorporate the technology in and beyond the classroom.
- What types of educational technology does your congregation currently use? What new educational technologies may be embraced in the next year?
- In your congregation, what type of educational technology training is provided for teachers of children and/or youth? for teachers of adults?
- Is your local congregation involved in the local school district? If so, how do those efforts contribute positively to ensuring that educational technology and training are priorities?