My school is a frontrunner in mobile educational technology. In fact, we carry pencils with us everywhere we go. I've seen the positive impact that pencils have had on my students' learning and test scores. Unfortunately, not everyone has seen the light. Here are 11 reasons teachers aren't using pencil technology (a parody of John T. Spencer's article )
1. Fear: Change is scary, and innovation requires that we get relaxed on what we have been doing before. There just isn't enough time in a school day to make room for that. Pencil bullying and lead footprints add layers of fear to using pencil technology in class. The lack of control over privacy with pencil use also has teachers scared.
2. Low Self-Efficacy:.When I was in kindergarten we did everything with crayons. Once first grade hit and I was expected to use pencils I lost hope in my ability to adapt. The same is true of teachers and pencil technology. While most teachers are motivated and somewhat skilled at using pencils, they just don't have the belief in their ability to master them.
3. Testing: This is a no brainer. Have you ever tried to fill in a bubble sheet with a pencil? With two ends to choose from it is nearly impossible! While teachers see quality, pencil-integrated strategies for improving test scores, they also see an inconsistency in the way they teach and the way pencils would affect assessment.
4. Consumerism: Teachers have generally used pencils for entertainment and social interaction. Talking, no matter how poor the quality, may be escapist, but it's a good escape. Heck, at least people are talking. Using pencils, however, is taboo and viewed culturally as a form of entertainment and without a place in the classroom.
5. Lack of Leadership: Administrators often worry more about liability of new technology instead of pushing for change. Pencils are directly in the cross hairs. What if students break them? What if they use them to pass notes? What if they use them to have karate chop contests in the back of the room? What a hassle.
6. Inconsistent Paradigms: I see teachers who say, "What am I supposed to do with a box of pencils?" or "How should I manage #2 pencils along with mechanical pencils?" And yet, teachers often have students writing with chisels and sticks.
7. Personal Experience: Teachers are comfortable using what they were familiar with growing up. Cave paintings are familiar. Something as simple as writing with a pencil seems strange and extreme. If teachers have never used pencils and aren't provided with quality professional development, then pencils will always seem alien and remain in the boxes they came in.
8. Humility: Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to say, "I'm a friggin' idiot! How are my students supposed to pass their spelling tests if I don't let them use pencils?"
9. It's Optional: If it isn't mandated, often teachers won't use it. Somehow, we treat using pencils as a matter of personal choice. Failure isn't an option, but giving students pencils is.
10. Lack of Technology: With recent budet cuts, schools aren't investing in pencils. I'm hoping this will change with the movement toward Bring-Your-Own-Writing-Tool. It sounds like a cop-out, but at least it allows schools to avoid investing in pencil technology.
11. Lack of Research: There is solid evidence out there about pencil-integrated strategies. However, many opponents of pencils claim that too it's all just a bunch of hype. The problem is that we are not sharing the research well enough with the broader teaching community . . . because we don't have pencils to write it down.
You get my point (no pun intended . . .or was it?). Thanks to John T. Spencer for his permission to parody his well-written and insightful article "11 Reasons Teachers Aren't Using Technology."
1. Fear: Change is scary, and innovation requires that we get relaxed on what we have been doing before. There just isn't enough time in a school day to make room for that. Pencil bullying and lead footprints add layers of fear to using pencil technology in class. The lack of control over privacy with pencil use also has teachers scared.
2. Low Self-Efficacy:.When I was in kindergarten we did everything with crayons. Once first grade hit and I was expected to use pencils I lost hope in my ability to adapt. The same is true of teachers and pencil technology. While most teachers are motivated and somewhat skilled at using pencils, they just don't have the belief in their ability to master them.
3. Testing: This is a no brainer. Have you ever tried to fill in a bubble sheet with a pencil? With two ends to choose from it is nearly impossible! While teachers see quality, pencil-integrated strategies for improving test scores, they also see an inconsistency in the way they teach and the way pencils would affect assessment.
4. Consumerism: Teachers have generally used pencils for entertainment and social interaction. Talking, no matter how poor the quality, may be escapist, but it's a good escape. Heck, at least people are talking. Using pencils, however, is taboo and viewed culturally as a form of entertainment and without a place in the classroom.
5. Lack of Leadership: Administrators often worry more about liability of new technology instead of pushing for change. Pencils are directly in the cross hairs. What if students break them? What if they use them to pass notes? What if they use them to have karate chop contests in the back of the room? What a hassle.
6. Inconsistent Paradigms: I see teachers who say, "What am I supposed to do with a box of pencils?" or "How should I manage #2 pencils along with mechanical pencils?" And yet, teachers often have students writing with chisels and sticks.
7. Personal Experience: Teachers are comfortable using what they were familiar with growing up. Cave paintings are familiar. Something as simple as writing with a pencil seems strange and extreme. If teachers have never used pencils and aren't provided with quality professional development, then pencils will always seem alien and remain in the boxes they came in.
8. Humility: Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to say, "I'm a friggin' idiot! How are my students supposed to pass their spelling tests if I don't let them use pencils?"
9. It's Optional: If it isn't mandated, often teachers won't use it. Somehow, we treat using pencils as a matter of personal choice. Failure isn't an option, but giving students pencils is.
10. Lack of Technology: With recent budet cuts, schools aren't investing in pencils. I'm hoping this will change with the movement toward Bring-Your-Own-Writing-Tool. It sounds like a cop-out, but at least it allows schools to avoid investing in pencil technology.
11. Lack of Research: There is solid evidence out there about pencil-integrated strategies. However, many opponents of pencils claim that too it's all just a bunch of hype. The problem is that we are not sharing the research well enough with the broader teaching community . . . because we don't have pencils to write it down.
You get my point (no pun intended . . .or was it?). Thanks to John T. Spencer for his permission to parody his well-written and insightful article "11 Reasons Teachers Aren't Using Technology."
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