Students of today differ greatly from the students of ten years ago and we have

technology to thank for that. These digital natives were born into technology and experience it

through many portals of their lives. These students have experienced learning with technology

being a constant while the veteran teachers have lived through the change. Who Moved My

Cheese?, a story about managing change in our lives, written by Spencer Johnson, explains that

things change and they are never the same again (p 45). The classroom is a perfect example of

the rapid transformation that technology offers.

Technology not only brings in-depth lessons that challenge the student, but it also allows

the student to be an active participant in his/ her own learning. Having a teacher lecturing in the

front of the room is very outdated, but with the integration of technology, many veteran teachers

are stuck in their ways not willing to change the way they teach. It is important for these teachers

to get out of their comfort zone and adapt to change sooner otherwise their practice will

become very antiquated (Johnson, 1998, p 49). As for the new practicum teachers right out of

college, it is hopeful that they understand the benefits of incorporating technology into each

lesson and this means not only turning on a SmartBoard to give notes!

Working in a lower-income district does not always mean the best or the latest that

technology has to offer. Maybe some people would say that some technology is better than none

at all, but to provide students with beneficial lessons, it is vital that teachers have the correct

resources to do so. For example, the district I work in has a computer lab with 20 desktop

computers. This is great because students are able to access the Internet to complete research and

practice skills. Unfortunately, low-income districts normally have greater class sizes; my current

class population is a total of 22 students. This means that two of my students have to share a

computer until the other five desktops are set up, yet school has already been in session for one
month already. Additionally, that same computer lab will also be used for PARCC testing in the

Spring, so the extra computer time that I am allotted throughout the year will be taken away so

the lab will be available to the testing grades. I understand that PARCC testing is very important,

but isnt teaching my First Graders how to type, research, and share ideas just as important? This

is a situation that my district should have prepared for. They knew that our class sizes are getting

larger, and PARCC testing needs to take place, so they needed to anticipate the change and

purchase more desktops (p 51).

At an age when students are so impressionable, they are the ones that lack technology the

most. My First Grade students will be learning how to read this year so practicing on a daily

basis is vital. Additionally, our writing curriculum introduces research writing, which will show

students the proper way to perform research beginning at a young age. When the computer lab is

not available for us to use, there are one hundred chrome books and twenty-five iPads purchased

last year that can be checked out when needed. Unfortunately, this year my building principal has

departmentalized our third, fourth, and fifth grade classes. This change was with the hope that

our PARCC scores would increase. Along with this class modification, the chrome books and

iPads are now located in those specific grade levels for them to use on a daily basis for PARCC

practice. Again, the situation leaves my First Graders lacking the technology time they so

desperately need.

Not only are my students suffering with the decisions made by our Big Cheese, the

staff continues to experience difficult situations (p 34). Professional Development or PD is

supposed to be a learning opportunity that allows teachers to maintain a high standard of

teaching. New ideas, lessons, and coaching during PD time allow teachers to implement this

information into their classroom. Since I was hired in my district three years ago, professional
development is not beneficial. We currently have one hour of professional development

scheduled per month. This is the time that our principal should have something planned for the

staff. Normally, our professional development days consist of a 15-minute faculty meeting,

followed by 45 minutes of time to work with our grade level partners. Instead of letting the

teachers find their own activities to fill that time, our principal should have planned speakers and

classes that provide us with valuable information in regards to the changes coming in education.

The classroom is where students achieve higher levels of literacy, reading, learning,

problem-solving skills and information and technology skills. It is important that technology be

available to all grades, because in only a few years my First Graders will be taking the PARCC

as well. If we keep doing the same things over and over again and wonder why things dont get

any better we need to realize that it is time for a change (p 43). We are all responsible for

providing the tools requires for our children to be effective learners in the 21st Century.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Johnson, S., & Blanchard, K. (1998). Who moved my cheese? New York, NY: Putnam.