Despite the global changes occurring within the world of education and mobile technology, there are still many barriers to effecting those changes, so that all citizens may benefit equally.
One of the first barriers is lack of vision: Lack of vision and lack of good leadership can create barriers in educational institutions 'keeping up'. It takes good leadership to say, "Teachers, we are going to use technology in our school - and that is not optional". However, if the leadership says, "Teachers, we are going to use technology in our school, but you decide how and when", then failure to adopt is assured. So, when technologies are adopted, full support networks need to be in place for training and monitoring. These are the themes being discussed and addressed at the BETT conference this week in London.
People like me, who, as I mentioned in my first blog, come from the 'chalk and board', "have you remembered your text book", era of teaching and learning, will find change a difficult thing too embrace at first. Support and training is absolutely essential in getting (often older) individuals to have the confidence and the inclination to change their attitudes and, even more challenging, their old 'tried and tested ' methods. Their fear of the unknown and their fear of failure are very real barriers to overcome. Ignorance and lack of technological knowledge should no longer be an excuse; and this will only be possible, if there is easy, supportive access, that is embedded in to each and every school, college,or learning institution.
Of course, aside from the cultural and socio-economic barriers; lack of resources and lack of proper spending and investment in the right areas, can contribute to an apathy to the effectiveness of new technologies.
"The future is already here; it is just not evenly distributed"
(William Gibson)
This is so true! The problem, and the irony is, that mobile technology has the ability to change the future of all our lives for the better; not just in terms of education, but the effects of having an educated world, will create opportunities to improve the socio-economic, political and intellectual landscape for everyone. Those boundaries that imprison people to poverty, ignorance, and war, are the barriers that deny all people access to the freedom of knowledge via mobile technology. Easy access to education for all, that is the new challenge for the 21st century.
References and sources:
http://www.slideshare.net/ghenrick/breaking-down-the-barriers-to-learning-technology-imoot-2012-keynote?qid=5db0b9fa-017d-4307-b892-4d1be7680e35&v=default&b=&from_search=6
Brown University:Sheridan Centre for Teaching and Learning.
http://www.brown.edu/academics
Younie S, Leask,M.(2013) Teaching With Technologies.Oxford University Press.
Sharples,M.Taylor,J.Vavoula,G. A Theory of Learning for the Mobile Age. Sage Publications (2006)
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