Educational policies are the primary guidelines that teachers use in their daily practices. These policies are crucial because they identify means in which children or adults receive knowledge. However, in some cases, the procedures are complicated or are not easy to carry out. Teachers may experience difficulties and additional pressure from a school’s administration while not receiving the required support. Therefore, the identified policy issue is the requirement for applying emerging technology without proper policies for personnel training. This paper aims to examine the problem of emerging technology usage in education.
Policy analysis is a useful tool one may apply to research a particular strategy and identify its effectiveness. According to Alexander (2013), the process “begins with a recognition that a fundamental condition needs to be changed” (p. 43). It is evident that educational institutions in their practice should apply innovation in technology. The ways in which people perceive information will remain the same, however, the tools used for studying will change (Quora, 2018). Therefore, the establishment has to recognize such need, which is reflected in the requirement for applying emerging technology solutions in classrooms.
Improving it and changing the existing practices of education is needed to ensure that teachers can be up to date with the current trends. Alexander (2013) states that for a policy to be an issue, there needs to be a condition, which requires changes. In the case of emerging technology usage, such component is staff training provided by a school’s administration or district authorities. Lack of such preparation results in the inability to adequately apply various instruments. Additionally, according to Alexander (2013), this aspect should be supported by empirical data. In this case, information was obtained by observing personnel of a school and assessing their response to the policy.
Policy problems should have three essential characteristics – they have been negative, must be resolvable by the utilization of public resources, and should be solved using such resources. The issue in question has adverse effects on teachers and their ability to work efficiently.
According to Kunnen (2015), “providing dedicated space to engage faculty and students with emerging educational technologies while encouraging their exploration of the possibilities brings about new opportunities in teaching and learning” (para. 1). Thus, without proper training on the application and usage of innovative approaches, the purpose of the policy is not fulfilled. Additionally, teachers experience pressure from both school principals and district authorities because they are unable to incorporate this policy requirement into their lessons.
This issue may and should be resolved by public resources. Schools and authorities can cooperate to create an educational program tailored to teachers wishing to understand emerging technology. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, different states can develop and implement specific programs or standards, as long as those do not require federal funding (“NCSL policy directives and resolutions,” n.d.). Thus, it is solvable and should be solved using public resources because it is a legislative requirement. Additionally, According to Alexander (2013), aspects of the policy are considered an issue when there is a disagreement.
There is a disagreement between the school principals, district personnel, and teachers. Overall, due to the mentioned aspects, emerging technology usage in classrooms and lack of teacher education is a policy issue. The current educational strategy has adverse effects on teachers. It can be resolved by using public resources and applying them to create a program that would guide school staff through the application of innovative technology in their lessons. Furthermore, the law requires such initiatives to be publicly funded by a state in which the changes occur.
References
Alexander, N. A. (2013). Policy analysis for educational leaders: A step-by-step approach. Minneapolis, MN: Pearson.
Kunnen, E. (2015). Emerging technologies to enhance teaching and enable active learning. Educause. Web.
NCSL policy directives and resolutions. (n.d.). Web.
Quora. (2018). How education and technology are evolving together. Forbes. Web.