Barriers to Technology Integration

I've recently done a literature search for a collaborative action research project on barriers to technology integration. I teach in an inner city high school in Chicago, where as the school's Technology Coordinator, I have worked arduously to try to bring the school into the 21st Century.

I have bumped heads with my Principal, an "old-school" educator, who himself is low-tech and who, I believe, is unable to visualize a 21st Century classroom. He has been one of the barriers to successful technology integration at the school.

A second barrier, but closely related, is that technology is not available to all teachers who would use it to integrate technology in their classes. Funds are not available or made available for the purchase or leasing of enough computers (6-10) for every classroom. Computer Lab schedules do not provide enough opportunity for teachers to do ongoing projects that infuse technology in their lessons.

A third barrier is political. As a school that has been on Probation ever since that designation was implemented over 10 years, we often use our technology for Test Prep (test drills, sample tests, and so on), instead of engaging students in their education and teaching them how to be life-long learners. We are under-resourced and over-burdened with Special Needs students (30%).

Finally, too few teachers have been trained in technology integration, and the Administration has not established it as a priority. Thus, there are no ongoing onsite tech integration workshops and its infusion into lessons is not promoted by the Administration.

Gary Latman