While Mira Costa’s innovative transition to the widespread use of devices and technology in the new math and science building is forward thinking, it is overwhelming to teachers and students and is unsupported by a cohesive plan.
One of the primary new technologies featured in the new building is the Eno board, which allows teachers to use the electronic board as a white board and as an interactive screen. This innovation is an effort to keep up with the recent wave of technological change that has been sweeping through not only Manhattan Beach, but the entire country. However, the implementation of this technology is incredibly hindered by the fact that Costa has not provided enough training for teachers on how to use these new, foreign devices.
Dale acknowledged this problem and stated there is help for those who ask, and primarily believes teachers should help each other and learn from their counterparts. Many teachers in the new building, who have developed their teaching style over multiple decades, are now forced to accommodate these new machines with no pretense of how to operate them. With only two isolated training sections, a number of respected and award winning teachers are overwhelmed, rather than enamoured, by the new advancements in technology.
Additionally, the concept of encouraging students to bring devices is commendable in theory, but in actuality, the school has done little to make this aspiration a reality. Dale was adamant that the future of the school is in the iPad, but he did not provide any information as to how the school will aid this endeavor besides school-wide Wi-Fi. At Manhattan Beach Middle School, there is a substantial set of applications used by the students to enhance their educational experience, none of which high school students have been notified or even advised about for the Mobile Device Initiative.
This transition also negatively affects the teachers who are not accustomed to allowing mobile devices during class. Some teachers have confided that they are wary of allowing iPads and mobile devices into classrooms because of the distraction it poses.
Even the transition to the Macbook Pro, which seems relatively insignificant, has created a large problems for the teachers in the new math and science building. The change to the new Apple-based systems is intimidating to the less technologically savvy, and is time consuming even for the technologically inclined due to the completely foreign nature of the software.
According to new building a few faculty members, this disparagement between Macintosh and Microsoft also makes it difficult to transfer files, control other devices in the room, and execute things as simple as Powerpoint presentations. These trivial problems occur frequently throughout the day, yet the primary technological support for teachers is via e-mail, which can take an entire day to be responded to.
To truly address the issue, Costa needs designated technological officials to not only help the transition go smoothly for the teachers, but also to provide a solid foundation of how and when students should use their mobile devices to enhance their learning process without distracting from instruction. By establishing proficiency early on, Costa can create a culture of efficient technological innovation to carry on far into the future.
These technological changes at Costa, more specifically in the new math and science building, have been implemented in far too rapid of a succession to work efficiently. These changes will only slow down class curriculums and hinder, rather than supplement, students’ learning here at Costa.
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