Computer Anxiety

Computer Anxiety affects many teachers; times have changed and teachers should too so that students have the benefit of many learning modalities,including technological.

Ten years ago, I could not use a computer. I could not even turn it on! I would actually cringe at the thought of using one. The computer teachers were teachers who were on another plane—they were above it all, the elite. In my school, in 1997, special education teachers were not even provided with PC’s in their classrooms, while all of the other classrooms were being outfitted with new Dells. Things have changed a lot in ten years. For one thing, I can use a computer with the best of them—and I question the professional principles of any educator who is not keeping up technologically.

What is funny to me now is that a) in many states, there is no certification required to teach computer and b) the computer class as a “special” is a concept that is now obsolete (this idea will be explored further—watch for it coming soon). Computer and other technologies should be incorporated into the lesson plan (make that “the electronic lesson plan”) and integrated throughout the student’s instructional day. Not only will the student become a literate member of our increasingly technological world, but other learning modalities will be explored, such as visual and hands-on experiences and those that pertain to what the real world has become.