According to a new national online survey, 92 percent of teachers polled said they would like to use more educational technology in the classroom, highlighting the growing national understanding that educational technology isn’t optional, it’s essential.
The survey, conducted for Common Sense Media’s Graphite by Harris Interactive in May 2013, asked teachers from around the U.S. “How important do you think it is for teachers to use educational technologies in the classroom?” “During the school year, how often do you or your students use [insert type of educational technology] in your classroom?” and “What are the biggest challenges to integrating educational technologies in schools?”
(Next page: What administrators and teachers are saying)
According to the survey, an “overwhelming majority” of teachers (86 percent) and administrators (93 percent) think it’s “important” or “absolutely essential” to use products (such as apps, computer games, websites, digital planning tools, or digitally delivered curricula) designed to help students or teachers.
Almost all teachers (between 87 percent and 96 percent) agree the use of educational technologies increases student engagement in learning, enables personalized learning, improves student outcomes, and helps students collaborate.
However, though enthusiasm abounds, only 19 percent of teachers use subject-specific content tools, 31 percent use information/reference tools, 24 percent use teacher tools, and 14 percent use digital curricula.
Perhaps the most interesting revelation is that only 1 in 9 teachers are implementing 1:1 or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs.
Both teachers and administrators say issues such as funding, access, time, and training are challenges to successful educational technology integration.
75 percent of all teachers also agree that it’s “at least somewhat difficult to find out about high quality educational technologies for instruction, student learning, or classroom management. And a third spend an hour or more each week researching products to use—a minimum of half a day each month.”
According to Graphite, the full report on the student will be available later this summer (2013).
(Next page: Infographic)
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