With this survey, my group decided to ask six questions in total, four of them being about technology in the classroom and two of them being about the teacher. We decided on just a few questions because we wanted people to do the survey without it taking so long. The first two questions asked what subject the teacher taught and what grade they taught. These questions were asked to see if there were trends with how teachers viewed technology depending on their grade level and subject area. The majority of the teachers taught math while some other teachers taught language arts as well as all subjects (elementary teachers). The majority of the teachers also taught 7th-8th grade with other teachers teaching preschool, kindergarten, 1st-3rdand 9th-12th. There was a wide range of different levels and subjects that took the survey, so I am glad we were able to get different views.
The first question about technology in the classroom was, “How do you define educational technology in the classroom?” This was asked so we could get a good idea of how the teachers defined technology before they explained how much they used it. If they had a different view of technology than how our group would define it, then that is good to know when we take into consideration the responses the teachers gave. There was a wide variety of answers ranging from “lacking” to “may be assistive tech for SPED students or may be iPad and the SAMR model.” For the most part, the teachers covered every part of technology in the classroom and seemed to have a good grasp of the usefulness of it. For the most part, technology in the teachers’ classrooms is used to help build more meaningful learning experiences. The “lacking” response was very interesting to me because I think many teachers who teach in low income areas feel this way about technology in the classroom.
The second question about technology in the classroom was, “Please check off all types of technology you use in the classroom.” The responses they could choose from were smart boards, Chromebooks/iPads, computers, projectors, digital tours, and google suites. These were chosen because we felt like they were the most common technologies we could think of. This question was created to have an idea of what technologies the teachers used to build more meaningful learning experiences. Majority of the teachers chose Chromebooks/iPads and Projectors. The least common technology used was digital tours with only one person choosing that. We expected there not to be many teachers that use digital tours, we just wanted to see if anyone did. I thought it was neat that at least one person uses digital tours and I think that number will increase as more people become used to the idea and technology continues to advance.
The third question about technology in the classroom was, “How many hours out of the day do you use these tools on average?” The responses they could choose from ranged from 1-8 hours. Obviously, we did not think a teacher used all day on technology, but with the chance that a teacher maybe taught online, we wanted that option. This question was asked to see the average amount of technology used in the classroom. Obviously, the more technology you use, the more effect technology can have, but most likely there is a line where too much technology overwhelms the students and it’s no longer useful. Most of the teachers chose two hours with three and five hours coming in as the next highest. No teachers chose fours, six, seven, or eight hours which was expected. I think using technology on an average of three to four hours a day is a good mix. Some days may have no technology while other days are filled with technology, but three to four hours on average allows for learning that is supported with technology.
The last question that was asked was, “How do you think these tools enhance your students' learning? Please describe briefly.” This question is important because it ties all of the questions together that we have asked. With this question we can see how many hours the students are using technology and how specific technologies affect student learning. My favorite response was, “When used correctly students are able to be exposed to programs and real world applications that they will encounter when they leave the High school environment.” This is an ISTE standard of digital citizen where students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical. This is important because a main point of school is to prepare students for the real world. Other answers ranged from “There are so many great programs and resources out there make learning more meaningful and fun.” to “Students are enjoying being on the apps and are learning without realizing it.” All these answers showed that technology does in fact enhance students learning, even when the average time on technology is only two hours the whole day.
This survey gave me a great insight of what teachers think about technology and how it is used in the real world. I learned that there are teachers who use the SAMR model to teach using technology a lot as well as teachers who want to use more technology but can’t because of funds. I always figured there was a large range of technology in the classroom, but it is different being able to see it in the survey. I also learned that teachers use technology about two hours a day, which doesn’t seem that much, but I am sure when I am in the classroom, I will get a greater range of how much two hours a day in the classroom actually is. The last thing I learned was that most teachers use Chromebooks and iPads in their classrooms. I’ve been in a lot of classrooms and most public schools have Chromebooks for each student, which is great if used properly. Overall, this survey was a great learning experience and I will use it to affect how I use technology in my classroom.
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