"New Insights on Technology Adoption in Schools"

By Lorraine Sherry and Shelley Billig, Fern Tavalin and David Gibson

http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/articleprintversion.cfm?aid=2640

T.H.E. Journal Online

February 2000

This article states that teachers go through six main stages while learning and adapting new technology to their classrooms.  These stages progress from acquiring basic knowledge and skills to becoming a leader in current research and skills.  Teacher fears and needs at each level of their development are also addressed by this article.  The information provided in this article targets technology coaches and administrators providing them with important information on the stages and needs of adult learners so that quality effective staff development may be done.  Several methods and studies were used to gather data for this research including, "interviews, focus groups, classroom observations, surveys of students, teachers, and administrators, threaded discussions, student projects and more."

Major Points of the Researcher:

• Teachers evolve through several stages while learning and adapting educational technology to teaching and learning.
• There are different strategies that should be used for teachers at different stages of their development.
• Continued collaboration of teachers both present and online is essential to continued growth.

The recommendations of this study are that:

• a fifth stage of "Teacher as Leader" needs to be added to learning/adoption theory;
• teachers need to have the time and support from other teachers and administrators in order to plan and implement technology;
• staff development needs to be flexible to fit the needs of all teachers; and
• teacher support needs to remain consistent and learner-centered.

I find this articles identification of different stages of teacher learning and implementation of technology to be interesting.  I have personally gone through those stages and feel that I have reached the fifth level.   In addition, I have seen that teachers progress through those levels at widely varying rates.  This article also offers some good and practical strategies for helping teachers to progress through each stage.