Barriers to Technology in Education

Many barriers exist in education regarding technology access.  First, money is a key factor.  Technology is not cheap and schools don't have the resources it takes to purchase needed technology.  Many schools do the 10 for technology in which parents are encouraged to send in at least $10 in order to help the school purchase technology.  This initiative has helped many schools purchase technology.  Another barrier could be access to technology.  Most schools do not have a one-to-one initiative for technology access.  Therefore, students have to share technology.  This can be a barrier in that students may not have access to technology when they need it.  Instead, they have to wait for a scheduled time to use it.  My school has an iPad lab in the library.  Teachers have to sign up to use the iPads throughout the week.  I wish I had a class set that I could keep in my classroom because I believe my students could benefit from having access to the iPads at all times.  Finally, I believe that lack of training is a barrier to technology in education.  Many schools have great technology for teachers to use in the classroom.  However, if teachers don't know how to effectively use the technology it may not get used in the classroom.  My school has Promethean boards in every classroom.  The ActiveInspire software program has so many great tools for teachers to create flipcharts, however; most of us don't know how to access them.  I believe more professional development needs to be explored in order for technology to be effectively used in the classroom.