Teacher Tech Knowledge: A Need for More PD or Are We Making Excuses?

I recently had this Twitter conversation while attending the annual KySTE Conference in Louisville.

JA: Some teachers do not understand technology terms, need to help them like we guide our students,make it relevant,#kyste2013 teach the teacher

Me: lack of teacher tech knowledge is failure of admins. Teacher standard 6 has been in place for years.

JA: I disagree. Yes, is standard, but tech is only one piece. Admins have little PD time to spread out on important topics 

ME: tech has been on teacher growth plans for 15+ years. Tech integration HAS to be a priority 4 21st C learners

JA: agree, but quality#edtech use is a fast-moving target for (many not all) teachers who learned typing on a typewriter.

For background, Kentucky Teacher Standard 6 states the following: 

STANDARD 6:  THE TEACHER DEMONSTRATES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TECHNOLOGY

The teacher uses technology to support instruction; access and manipulate data; enhance professional growth and productivity; communicate and collaborate with colleagues, parents, and the community; and conduct research.

This standard has been around in one form or another since I started teaching 17 years ago, and I'm quite certain every other state now requires to have some level of technology proficiency.  Technology was prevalent while I was still a student at Thomas More College.

In my view, teachers should know technology terms by now.  Computers have been around and in schools for over 30 years.  I know for a fact that technology has been on teachers' professional growth plans since I started teaching 17 years ago.  If teachers haven't learned technology terms by now, I still insist this is failure on the part of the administration not only in schools, but also in school districts, to properly monitor and assess teacher growth plans.  How would parents react if we told them we didn't have time to teach their students social studies, science, or music because reading and math were more important?  

Students being born today are likely to live to see the 22nd Century, and we're still having conversations about 21st Century skills and how we're going to teach them.  We're now 13 years into the 21st Century and we're still talking about integrating 21st Century skills?  We're dealing with 21st Century, connected, mobile kids.  If we aren't providing them with a quality 21st Century education, then we are failing them.

With the Common Core Standards in place in 45 states, and with technology being integrated into the Common Core, it is no longer acceptable to push technology professional development off for teachers, nor is it okay for teachers to continually put it on their growth plan and make no progress.  Teachers and schools should be at a point where technology should be an almost invisible tool in the classroom.  For the sake of our students and future leaders, it MUST happen now!

Complicating this are the Teacher Preparation Programs which are simply not doing enough to produce technology proficient teachers.  Our new teachers should be able to step into a classroom knowing how to use products like Office, tablet devices, and Web 2.0 tools like Prezi, Popplet, and Live Binders.  It's time for the Colleges and Universities to step it up and produce a technology proficient teacher.

Let's quit making excuses and make it happen.  And if you're a state or federal Congressman, or a Governor or even President of the United States, it's time to quit bickering, quit posturing, and give educators and kids the technology tools they need to make true 21st Century learning happen.  Let's all DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR KIDS!