What teachers say they need to use technology effectively

Changing traditional instructional practices remains the top challenge for school technology leaders, but implementing digital practices and technology in schools is not possible without the support of the teachers themselves. Therefore, motivating teachers to change their traditional teaching practices becomes priority.

These are the findings of a new report released by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow. About 38,000 teachers, 29,000 parents and 4,500 administrators from K-12 districts across the United States shared their views on these issues as part of the Speak Up 2016 Research Project for Digital Learning. 

The report, Trends in Digital Learning:  Building teachers’ capacity and competency to create new learning experiences for students, focuses on the readiness of teachers to use digital tools to transform teaching and learning and explores what teachers say they need to use technology effectively.

“More and more education leaders realize that the sustainable success of any transformative initiative in their school is dependent upon the leadership of the teacher in the classroom,” said Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow. “This report shows that digital tools, content and resources can help elevate the competencies of teachers and also provide evidence of the value technology can bring to students’ learning experiences and outcomes.”

Key findings from this digital learning trends report: 

1. Parents believe effective technology use within the classroom helps kids build college and career readiness.
2. Motivating teachers to change traditional instructional practices to use technology in the classroom is critical.
3. Blended learning teachers are raising the bar for transforming learning to meet the needs of all students.
4. Planning time, access to technology in the classroom, support, professional development, and consistent, high quality Internet connectivity comprise five essential elements for effective integration of digital content, tools, and resources within the classroom.

For more information, visit the Blackboard site. 

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0