Dive Brief:
- Just 16% of teachers give their home schools an excellent grade for incorporating tech in the classroom, a new "Teachers’ Dream Classroom Survey" from Edgenuity reveals; 400 middle and high school educators contributed answers.
- Nearly half of the teachers who responded to the survey said they consider the technology they have in their schools to be outdated.
- 91% of teachers surveyed agreed technology provides a greater ability for teachers to tailor lessons and homework assignments to individual needs students.
Dive Insight:
According to the "Teachers’ Dream Classroom Survey," 73% of educators said technology creates more opportunities for research projects, 71% noted it can help students learn through a combination of direct instruction and independent learning and 67% said they believe tech provides differentiated learning options for each student, resulting in a more personalized learning experience.
At the college level, a recent Eduventures survey found 60% of institution officials say their campuses are in early stages of planning the use of technology as part of their retention strategy. At the same time, 88% said they were using external tech, proving that a significant gap exists between concept and execution.
As the trend towards personalized learning and greater tech implementation rises in the U.S., it's important to begin any consideration of a new technology initiative with a solid brainstorming session, collecting input from school staff and students in order to better articulate learning needs. That way, tech will serve a greater purpose, and school leaders will be better positioned to lead with tech, rather than following or trying to keep up with gadgetry.
