The report, titled "Educators, Technology and 21st Century Skills:
Dispelling Five Myths," was based on a survey of
more than 1,000 K-12 educators and school administrators in the United States,
specifically 783 teachers and 274 principals or assistant principals. It was
designed to gauge the use of technology in the classroom and perceptions of
technology in education. Researchers released the report at the ISTE 2010
convention happening this week in Denver.
What it found was a great disparity
between teachers in terms of their uses of technology, although, contrary to
expectations, the frequency of technology use wasn't predicted by teacher
experience. New and experienced teachers were about as likely to be
"frequent" users of technology in the classroom as they were to be
"moderate," "sporadic," or "infrequent" users.
Use and Perceptions of Technology
About 22 percent of those surveyed were considered frequent users of
technology, spending 31 percent or more of class time using technology to
support learning. Seventeen percent were defined as moderate users, those who
spend 21 percent to 30 percent of class time using technology; 26 percent
sporadic users, spending 11 percent to 20 percent of class time using
technology; and 34 percent infrequent users, who reported spending 10 percent
or less of class time supporting learning with technology.
Secondary teachers tended to be more
heavy users than elementary teachers. Teachers of certain subjects were also
more frequent users on the whole, especially science and social studies
teachers, 33 percent of whom reported being frequent users, and math teachers,
31 percent of whom reported frequent classroom technology use.
Those who reported being frequent
users cited distinct benefits to student learning as a result of technology
use.
According to the report's authors,
"Frequent technology users place considerably more emphasis on developing
students' 21st century skills--specifically, skills in accountability,
collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, ethics, global
awareness, innovation, leadership, problem solving, productivity and
self-direction. Frequent users also have more positive perceptions about
technology's effects on student learning of these skills--and on student
behaviors associated with these skills."
On the whole, teachers and
administrators reported benefits of technology use for all types of students,
from high achievers to students with behavioral and emotional issues.
Preparation and Support
But teachers also reported unsatisfactory levels of support and preparation for
the use of technology in the classroom.
"In reality, teachers who have
completed their initial certification or licensure since 2000 do not believe
that their pre-service programs taught them how to teach 21st century skills or
how to effectively incorporate technology into instruction,..." according
to the report.
Of those who completed their initial
certification or licensure since 2000, more than half reported that their
initial teacher preparation programs failed them in these respects. But of
those who completed advanced training and certification since 2000, 60 percent
or more thought their advanced programs prepared them for teaching 21st century
skills and incorporating technology into instruction.
