Current State of Technology Integration in Primary Classrooms in the U.S

*I know these statistics and years cited look old.  However, technology integration in education may not be a new concept, but it has been slow to change and implement. This information is only gathered so often and when you really get into it, the only place it can go from here is better!

As I began reading literature on technology integration and how schools use digital technology, I found myself asking, “Do all schools have access to technology?” and “Are all schools using technology?”  The U.S. Department of Education’s Fast Facts webpage reported that back in 2006 in U.S. public schools, nearly 100% had Internet access, 94% of instructional rooms had Internet access, and the ratio of students to instructional computers with Internet access was 3.8 to 1.  (And 2006 is an old statistic, imagine what it is today).  If you want more on this topic I suggest checking out Technology Counts 2010, however, for the latest news, Technology Counts 2011 came out in March.

Peggy Ertmer explained back in 2005 that the increased level of access in schools and teacher skills related to technology led to an increase of technology use in classrooms. However, she described many teachers were still leading classrooms in teacher-centered ways which contributes to lower level technology integration. These included basic word processing, improving computer skills, Internet research, and practice drills.  Effective professional development on integrating technology is necessary because only a small percentage of teachers are implementing high-level, student-centered practices (Ertmer, 2005). 

To summarize, today in 2011 schools are equipped with technology and teachers are using it.  However, how technology is used varies across grade levels, buildings, and districts. Revisiting my definition, part of technology integration is when a teacher believes computer technology is necessary for typical instruction rather than being used as an “add-on”. Therefore, in general, most schools have not yet reached integration in classrooms (Bauer & Kenton, 2005).  Some teachers may see technology as a set of tools to facilitate student learning, while others may view using technology as one more thing to add to their plate (Ertmer, 2005).  Depending on the beliefs of the teacher, technology use will be very different and student learning may vary as well (Ertmer, 2005).

Over twenty years ago, Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow found evidence that beliefs about instruction and schools is an underlying factor in teachers’ resistance to change. In 2005, Peggy Ertmer published articles that present that beliefs are still getting in the way. It is now 2011, have things changed?  What do your colleagues believe about technology integration?  Do you think discussing beliefs matters?