This year, the Technology Counts data section shines the spotlight on teachers’ use of technology.
One point many ed-tech experts make in the stories in this report is that using digital tools to personalize learning cannot be done effectively without good teachers who know how to use and integrate digital tools into learning. In particular, they need to know how to deploy those tools so that students take more control of how they are learning content, whether through online research tailored to students’ interests, social-networking sites to collaborate with peers or experts, or audio and visual tools to enhance understanding of a particular topic or concept.
To give readers a sense of how teachers are doing in this area, this technology-data section includes a host of statistics related to the role of technology and teachers in customizing education for all students. Those statistics include snapshots of teacher use of simulation and visualization technologies, online research tools, interactive whiteboards, social-networking sites, and blogs and wikis, as well as a look at how often teachers use educational technology with students to solve problems, conduct experiments, create art or music, or design and produce products.
All the data in this section came from “Teachers’ Use of Educational Technology in U.S. Public Schools: 2009,” a report published by the U.S. Department of Education in May 2010.
Time spent in professional development for educational technology during one year
Teachers’ response to their professional development for educational technology
Download these charts and additional data from the U.S. Department of Education report.
