How has my learning path shaped by perceptions as an educator? Cont'd
Professional's technology anxiety
Technological advances mandated by school divisions, from Internet web 2.0 applications to new and improved software programs, have increased the burdens and responsibilities of teachers, beyond the reasonable expectations of a well-balanced professional. Even technologically savvy teachers find it increasingly difficult to deal with the never-ending technological demands of their profession. The flood of email inquiries from multiple sources are compounded by the expectations of an ongoing online presence for course delivery, development reporting, and the perceived need to stay current in many software applications for work and professional development. From the moment the computer first boots to life in the morning, to the moment it shuts down at night, a teacher is in a continual struggle for time.
One of the time-consuming tasks of any teacher’s day is the onslaught of email messages. Constant requests from administrators, parents, colleagues, and students create a heightened sense of urgency and are an immediate demand on a teacher’s valuable time. Homework, mark clarifications, scheduling meetings, and documentation requests cause anxiety in a well-prepared teacher from the first whir of the hard drive and click of the mouse. This demand on time, foisted upon individuals, leaves less time for instruction and the updating of an online teacher presence. Email tasks are laborious, time-consuming administrative tasks that have added to our stress, and are not an educator’s primary focus, yet teachers are expected to command this technology and find the time to be proficient.
Multiple means of communications and its concomitant immediacy have created the “always on teacher” existence. Teachers expend more energy than they should with administrative web-based tasks, such as updating students’ assessments nightly and keeping online attendance and marks. This administration is de rigueur for today’s teacher, regardless of ability or will. Software that is supposed to save time increases workload, instead. Additionally, it is often expected that teacher put course outlines, unit plans, and lesson plans online. Putting this information in the public arena leaves it open not only to peer scrutiny and criticism, but also to theft. This responsibility also adds pressure to be meticulous beyond personal expectations, for fear of ridicule or reprisals from others. Even those trained in many facets of information technology are just barely coping with the technological inundation. It is no wonder that the “always on teacher,” in continual update mode, finds it difficult to stay current in the field of educational technology, while trying to meet all of these administrative demands.
Originating in the business world, the continual need for growth and expansion associated with computers and their applications has insinuated itself into the educational field. Many one-day professional development opportunities purport to be a remedy to teachers’ anxiety over a perceived digital literacy deficit, thereby creating a negative feedback loop with regard to technology skills acquisition. With division-mandated software applications in ubiquitous use, teachers feel compelled to take professional development in IT training, rather than pedagogically significant personal development. Again, teachers’ time is monopolized by technological skills updating and training, which is counterproductive many teachers’ pedagogical purpose and style.
It is apparent that many forces, which are tied to advances in computer technologies, are converging in the digital millennium to increase expectations, workloads, and time demands on teachers. These factors are often beyond a teacher’s control, as they are dictated by utopian school division ideals for software and other technologies to solve problems in our educational institutions. Teachers, who have been imbued with the critical thinking faculties that they are told to impart to their students, often feel overwhelmed, and they often choose to disengage from computers and information technology. The computer advances do little to ameliorate time demands on teachers, and, in fact, they exacerbate a growing problem: teacher buy-in to technological innovations that do not serve pedagogical outcomes. Teachers see new technologies as an increased workload for little return, and this increased demand for technological proficiency can lead to diminished self-confidence in educators.
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