Five Obstacles to Technology Integration at a Small Liberal Arts University.

Spodark, E. (2003). Five Obstacles to Technology Integration at a Small Liberal Arts University. T H E Journal, 30(8), 14

I found this article during my research for my obstacles in technology integration paper.  The author addresses five key obstacles in technology integration, and while there might be slight differences in wording from some of the obstacles we discussed in class, the major themes remain the same.

The first obstacle, Lack of Clear Vision, addresses the big picture issues of technology implementation.  How will this technology will be used on larger scale, what are the expectations of the staff, how will this technology be supported, etc.?

The second obstacle addresses the intent of the school district and administrators with regard to how this technology will be used, how staff will be trained, support, etc.  Lack of Leadership is basically a lack of planning.

Critical Mass, the third obstacle, refers to the lack of available technology for teachers.  In other words, how can teachers be expected to use tech if there isn't enough to go around. 

The Lack of Incentive is the fourth obstacle.  This refers to a lack of faith in working technology, support and financial incentives for teachers.

Lastly, all of these factors combine to form the final obstacle, Lack of Faculty Participation.  This refers to staff buy-in, attitudes, etc.

I found it interesting that many of these "obstacles" were human in nature as opposed to financial.  My own experience reflects this idea, as I have often found my colleagues to be the largest hurdle in implementing new technology in my department.  Whether its fear of new tools or methods, lack of faith in the technology or support, laziness!, etc.  It seems someone is always opposed to new technology efforts.  I can usually find ways around money, administrators, and every other problem I run into.  But my fellow staff members...?  Haven't figured that one out yet :)   

Technology in the rear-view mirror: how to better incorporate the history of technology into technology education.

Hallström, J., & Gyberg, P. (2011). Technology in the rear-view mirror: how to better incorporate the history of technology into technology education. International Journal Of Technology & Design Education, 21(1), 3-17. doi:10.1007/s10798-009-9109-5

I found this article particularly relevant to our own work on antiquated technology.  I know the question of "why?" we were taking the time to learn the history of these devices was raised during our class discussion, and I found the rationale or relevance points raised by the author to be very poignant.

The author breaks the need for teaching technological history into three questions.

The first question an educator should ask themselves is what they want their students to know about technological change?  The second question one should ask themselves in teaching historical technology is if the technology in question is relevant to the student's learning? Finally, is this information being used to analyze the history or development of this technology?

As a Fine Arts Teacher, I work through the entire spectrum of traditional, hands-on learning all the way to digital instruction. Because of this, a large part of my instruction can be walking the line between traditional and technological techniques, so I can definitely relate to the relevance of new methods and technology, noting past procedures and techniques and the dreaded "WHY are we learning this?" question.  Most of the time, I simply explain to my students the importance of history and understanding where this knowledge comes from.  Still, sometimes I can't help but ask myself the same questions.  "WHY are you teaching this?"  "Is it relevant?"  "How are we going to use this information?"

In any event, this article has opened my eyes to these questions, and hopefully I can come up with the right answers when preparing my next historical lesson.    

PILOTING, POLISHING & PERFECTING: Creating and Implementing a Technology Staff Development Model.

Sanders, B., Brown, C., & Zellner, L. (2002). PILOTING, POLISHING & PERFECTING: Creating and Implementing a Technology Staff Development Model. T H E Journal, 30(2), 41


This article recalls the evolution of a technology staff development plan in a Texas school and the large role grant money played in making this model possible.  Particular attention is paid to the stages of development in this plan and the milestones required of participating teachers.  These included training at a district, building and personal level, as well as recording progress and creating artifacts.   

I was particularly interested in the timeframe noted in this article.  The intent of this model was to create a basic foundation that would be built upon, developed and refreshed over a number of years.  Creating modes of development allowed teachers to achieve milestones that allowed them to be successful as they moved through the training.

As teachers, we are very aware of the time it takes to teach our students.  We don't expect them to learn something overnight.  Learning takes time.  So why don't we apply this to our own learning?  Too often we develop new programs, hand out devices or initiate new applications without proper training or time to develop our skills.  Again, learning takes time...even for teachers.