Anthrotech

In my week-long quest for answers concerning availability of and attitude towards educational technology at West Anchorage High School, I came to the conclusion that many staff members are simultaneously very proficient when it comes to attaining the tech hardware and software they desire and yet are also somewhat dissatisfied with the level of support they get from the school and district in terms of troubleshooting their tech. My full report can be viewed here.

The most popular answer to the question, "Do you think there is a prevailing attitude towards technology at West, was generally, "It really varies from teacher to teacher," followed by, "Are you asking about Zangle? Zangle, the new district-wide mega-grading/attendance software, is by far the most controversial piece of technology on the school consciousness this year. Direct questioning about "your attitude towards technology" usually produced fairly non-committal, diplomatic answers like, "It is of course great to use technology in the classroom, but sometimes it can be more trouble than it's worth," while more specific questions like, "How do you think your administration does with technology?" or "How do you feel about Zangle?" often produced much more illuminating results!

The express opinion of one of the three Technology Coordinators at West was that the vast majority of teachers at our school use technology appropriately for a small number of things and do what they need to do, almost always complying with district-instituted technology practices (like entering attendance via Zangle), but that there are always a few who either hate technology on principle or overuse it to their students' detriments. Interestingly, it seems that the most technologically inclined teachers are also the most dissatisfied with the way technology is handled at the school and district level. A very common sentiment was frustration that the district and school really push technology but provide very little support to those teachers who do bother to use it. Zangle and the slow server have both put a huge strain on Ed Tech/Teacher relations this year. No one likes to have to learn a new grading program, no matter how good it is, and it is easy to blame the new program for any problems that arise.

Opportunities:

• There are many digital tools and computer labs available to be borrowed or reserved for class projects, more than many schools have, and it's relatively easy to sign up for these resources. The people who control the technology budget are very open to suggestions and try to get new technology ordered and in to teachers who request them ASAP. One math teacher I interviewed requested an Interwrite Pad and received it, complete with supporting technology like a dedicated computer and projector stand, in less then three months. This is from the date he first thought of asking for it.

Limitations:

• One limitations is definitely the fact that half our tech team is flying by the seat of its pants, struggling just to keep the school's computers running while they learn their jobs. Another limitation is always funding, but that is definitely less so in the case of West High, who has more rich alumni donors than usual for a school of its size and brilliant teachers able to write technology grants. Teacher morale and disillusionment with technology is a serious barrier in this school, as many who have tried to implement really cool tech in the past have been let down by school tech that was too clumsy and couldn't handle the new technology. It is also a widely held belief that those in the district offices are out of touch with the kids, schools, and teachers, and so technology mandates from above are generally treated with scorn.
  

Potential:

• I think West High has a really high number of tech savvy students and teachers, so if someone wanted to give the ASSIST (Advanced Students Supporting, Instructing, and Servicing Technology) program a serious go it could be really awesome. Goodness knows the tech team needs some help getting teachers the tech support they need. Also, there are a lot more digital tools and lab rooms available for reservation than are generally used by teachers, and the district pays for a lot of expensive technology resources that most teachers don't even know exist, many of which are actually quite good. As the Science Department has demonstrated, if you ask for it, it can be attained. . . the only question left on most people's minds at that point is, "Will it work, and if it doesn't, will we be able to figure out why?" The answer is usually yes, but it takes a long time.