What common barriers to technology integration do you hear or see in your area?
In my line of work the main barrier to technology integration is money and bureaucracy of paper work to request anything not foreseen in advanced. The military budget usually allocates funds two years in advance. Major commands have to budget for many things. The subordinate commands have to deal with money given to them quarterly. Every section in the unit needs money to function. There are not much discretionary funds. Technology changes and upgrades very fast, the money and the paperwork do not catch up so fast.
Another barrier I hear about a lot is time. I believe this is a universal complain. But when I hear or give this reason myself I remember someone saying “Did you sleep? Then you had time.” The operation tempo of many military units is extreme to say the least. One has to be very creative to find the time to implement a new technology en mass.
Which are actual barriers and which are proxy or stand in for something else?
I will have to say that both time and money barriers are very real.
Actual barriers, what would you do to solve or get over the barriers so that technology is used more effectively in your location?
Leadership, creativity and perseverance are key elements for overcoming most barriers. Leadership at all levels is very important. In this case however, technology issues have to be important for the people in top leadership roles so they can make it a priority for all. Creativity is required of the implementers to make the best with the resources available. Perseverance is the quality to stay the course identifying and projecting future needs, coupling them with the tedious paperwork that goes with it.
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About Me
- Rosa
- Murrieta, California, United States
- I have been in the Marine Corps for over 20 years. I have to say that being in the military is not about money but about loving what you do. Pretty much like a teacher. When I look back, I see that the military has given me the opportunity to play many roles: student, teacher, instructor, mentor, peer and leader. I have learned a lot and I am thankful.
8 comments:
Hi Rosa,
I agree with you that there isn’t anything that is more important than time and money. From private business to public affair, everyone, in some ways, all feel pressure for money (budget) and time (deadline).
In classroom, I always feel that I never have enough time to thoroughly cover my lecture, and the same for the workshop demonstration. No matter how hard I tried to budget my time, sometimes I feel that 24-hours-day is still too short.
Just my thought, I think that I need more time than money (budget). I can live (work with) with old technology or less advance stuff, but I always need more time to do things (may be I am a slow type).
Hi Rosa,
I have to agree, time and money are common barriers to technology. In your case budget allocation seems very complicated. But implementing technology can also save you time, we just have to think outside of the box and simplify things. Implementing technology in education does not always need to be creating something from scratch, there are an infinite number of learning tools on the internet that can be used as supplement to your lecture, most of them are free and already come with lesson plans attached.
I agree with you 100% on projecting. Technology changes so quickly that this issue barrier has to be addressed. In my location, the institution was built to house 1500 inmates, we have approximately 2700. We need more classrooms, teachers, equipment and bilinqual educational materials. The technological applications that we are allowed to utilize in the classrooms need to be upgrade to include learning for our ESL students.
I have requested the software, but just as your operation, funds have already been allocated and spent for this fiscal year. Our school site teacher council is working diligently on changing the spending of administration so that their is always discretionary funds available to service the needs of our students.
Hi Rosa,
I agree with you that money is a major barrier. We so often in our schools see how there are soem schools in the same district who are the have and one who is the have nots.
Rosa,
Money always seems to be a barrier of some sort when it comes to acquiring new technology, doesn't it? Especially with the military where, like you said, 'every section in the unit needs money to function.' Don't you wish someone would offer new technology to the military for free?
It is funny that you mentioned the time issue because that sounds like my karate instructor. He will ask me if I have been training or practicing my karate and when I tell him "I don't have time.", he will reply with "Do you sleep?" Then he will tell me to cut my sleep time down by 1 hour and now I have 1 more hour to train.
James
Hello Rosa,
In past times people had lots of time but longed for more money, for these people were very poor. Nowadays, most people are no longer very poor, but they now long for more money and time. The later statement is a sign of changing times.
In today's environment,we traded a little more money for lots of out time; now we find ourselves short on both areas. The lack of time is something that is in short supply not only in our position as educators, but is a phenomenom that is everywhere in society, affecting it at every level.
Let us see what the future holds for us, at least in the field of education; we could really use more time to deliver more quality education. We could also benefit from more generous salaries to solve the lack of money problem that affects our personal budgets.
Hey Rosa,
Reading your remembered comment of "did you sleep? Then you had time" made me think. And honestly for ANYONE, it not always a matter of if we have or had time but more of where our time is prioritized. I believe this is also a point made my Dr. Newberry's quote referring to greats such as Einstein and DaVinci. I know there are many self-trainings i need to do and I always think there's just not enough time but in reality, I end up needing my time for other things.
If you slept you had time! I'll have to remember that one. We used to ask, "Are you committed or just dedicated? " or, are you the chicken or the pig. This comes from a story about breakfast. You see, when it comes to a bacon and eggs breakfast the chicken was dedicated, the pig was committed.
Money is always a factor, especially if what you do requires more updated equipment. However we often overlook what can be done with older equipment (at least in education). Using technology effectively is often as much mindset and implementation as it is new infrastructure.
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