Infrastructure for technology means having the appropriate hardware (computers, projectors, document cameras, etc.), as well as the software, networks, and tech support to be able to integrate them into the classroom seamlessly. The area of Infrastructure includes looking at the ratio of students to computers as well as the speed and quality of the internet connection.
In the area of infrastructure, there's been a lot of progress in the last several years. When I was in college, my campus was just beginning to integrate wireless internet, but now it seems crazy that any learning environment wouldn't have wireless. The idea that tech support is supposed to be on hand and ready to help is another relatively new phenomenon. When I started working in schools, tech support came eventually and oftentimes I had to surrender my computer to get the support I needed. We've also seen a lot of changes in what kind of hardware is expected in a 21st century classroom. When we walk into classrooms, we expect to see a projector (not an overhead) and possibly a document camera as well. In some schools, walking in to find a SmartBoard or similar piece of technology is commonplace. Nationally, there's also been growth in the area of one-to-one computing in schools. More and more districts are looking at having a one-to-one ratio so that every child can have constant access to a computer.
One of the trends I see in Infrastructure locally is that money is misallocated. Schools purchase technology so that they have the infrastructure partially in place. The challenge is that the infrastructure cannot stand alone. Use of technology requires leadership and educator development. Without these two components, investing in infrastructure is useless. Nationally, hardware is often seen as a silver bullet. "If we just have these (fill in the blank with technology here) than our students will achieve..." For example, my school purchased several Promethean boards, which are a great piece of technology. However, they were set up on rolling frames with rolling projectors so that throughout a lesson, they would constantly need to be recalibrated, rendering the board practically useless. I went into one teacher's classroom and she was showing a movie on the Promethean. I asked what the connection was between the board and the film and she replied that her pull down screen was broken. A $2,500 screen is what we bought because we didn't have the correct infrastructure to integrate the boards into classrooms.
My challenge for schools as they continue to invest in infrastructure for technology is to consider if the technology is a "best fit" for their campus. Do we have the tech support to help teachers use this technology? Do we have access to the kind of bandwidth that this video streaming repository requires? Do we have the capability to mount our SmartBoards and projectors in classrooms? If the answer to these questions is no, then perhaps the money would be better directed on simpler infrastructure (like improving the network or ensuring that all classrooms have a projector). Otherwise all that fancy technology will just be collecting dust.
You talked about having wireless Internet on your campus. My last school (5 years ago) was totally wirless. All teachers had laptops and we could go anywhere in the school and have access to the Internet. My current school has just recently incorporated wireless to our campus (last year). Some districts are just more on the ball with technology than others.
ReplyDeleteKaren,
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right. We need to invest in technology that is "best fit" for our campus. I have seen a lot of campus that buy technology and never use it. I would love to use the technology that they have sitting on the their shelves. But you are right, get the foundations down first. Upgrade your internet connection, make sure there is a reliable technologist, and make sure teachers have the right tools to use in their classrooms.
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