Dive Brief:
- Front Row Education’s second annual Technology in the Classroom survey reached 2,500 teachers and administrators, finding widespread technology use that is expected to increase throughout the academic year.
- In a news release announcing its findings, Front Row reported 75% of teachers said they use technology daily with students, three out of five said their technology use would increase during the 2016-17 school year, and about half said they had 1:1 device programs — up almost 10% from last year.
- Access to Chromebooks is up 15%, with 60% of teachers saying they have access to the device, though iPads are still available to more teachers (64%) even with a drop in use — and respondents said technology changed the way they teach by helping determine student skill level more efficiently and deeply.
Dive Insight:
As technology use in classrooms continues to grow it is important to keep in mind the stubborn statistics about how it is being used. Teachers continue to use digital devices for drills, review and practice exercises and too few ever use the technology as a tool for collaborative activities among students, according to the 2016 Technology Counts survey from Education Week.
To truly take advantage of the power of digital technology, schools need to offer better professional development and ongoing coaching to help teachers shift their pedagogy in the right direction. A recent AdvancED study found two-thirds of the 140,000 K-12 classrooms studied showed no evidence of using technology for research, problem-solving, creation of original work, communication or collaboration. Teachers are feeling more comfortable with technology now. They simply need better strategies for using it.
