Gateway Tools: Five Tools to Allow Teachers to Overcome Barriers to Technology Integration

Having grown up immersed in technology, students of today are digital natives, but many of their teachers are often playing catch-up because they are digital immigrants. Furthermore, although new teachers enter profession comfortable with technology for personal use, they must still be thoughtful regarding application of technology for instructional purposes. For paradigm to shift in how technology is used in classroom, teachers must become more comfortable with its usage and grow in understanding of its value within classroom. The authors examine some of identified barriers to technology integration in classroom and offer teachers several tools to help open gates to integration.IntroductionFew teachers truly work in environments devoid of technology. Even in schools where limited funds prevent major technology purchases, tools for connecting, communicating, collaborating, and creating surround them. Students bring tools with them daily in their pockets, purses, and bags in form of smartphones and other mobile devices. However, many teachers are left unsure about how to engage students with emerging technologies or how to embed technology effectively a seamless part of instruction.Todays students and many of todays teachers have grown up immersed in technology. However, when it comes to employing technology a pedagogical tool, teachers often must play catch-up, while still acting instructional guides. Often teachers perceive they cannot act authority figures in their classrooms if they bring in tech tools. Teachers must be at least minimally comfortable with technology use and see value that these tools can bring to their daily lives before they can consider technology integration anything more than one more thing required of them. For true change to take place in classroom, paradigm shift must begin with teachers rather than students. In this article, we examine some of identified barriers to teacher technology integration and discuss key tools that can provide teachers with experiences necessary to open gates for technology integration.ResearchFor decades, education experts have heralded emerging technologies next big thing to revolutionize teaching. That revolution, however, has yet to arrive, and many classrooms of today regularly resemble classrooms of a century ago rather than 21st century centers of learning. Even schools continue to be stocked with computers, interactive whiteboards, and other technology tools-and despite fact that many stakeholders walk around with massive computing power in their pockets-the technology integration required to make substantial shifts in education is often lacking.Belland (2009) defined technology integration the sustainable and persistent change in social system of K-12 schools caused by adoption of technology to help students construct knowledge (e.g., research and analyze information to solve problems) (p. 354). Many researchers argue that true classroom technology integration relies on development and implementation of student-centered learning experiences. Although teachers claim to utilize technology part of instruction, classroom activities often remain primarily teacher-led.What, then, causes technology integration efforts to fail? How can schools and districts design professional development to help ensure integration of technology in order to promote student-led instruction? When adequate technology resources (hardware, software, and internet access) are available, two key factors hinder classroom technology use. First, educators are not always skilled beyond basic usage and, thus, must learn how to use technology itself as well how to use it instructionally-a completely different (Mishra, Koehler, & Kereluik, 2009, p. 49). This lack of skill and knowledge may translate directly to a lack of self-efficacy and an absence of positive attitudes necessary to motivate teachers to use technology (Holden & Rada, 2011). …