Grasping the innovations possible through technology-based instruction was a challenge, and I moved into the information age of technology use on a daily basis over time (Frand) — and not always graciously! The industrial age mindset I had is still in place for many of the teachers with whom I work, those who have been teaching for many years and learned and are comfortable with a face-to-face, traditional approach to teaching and learning.
For them, computers and other technological innovations offer a very new way to communicate. These teachers may possess limited skills in using technology, and are lacking perhaps even what others might consider the basics. For instance, one study indicated that of 30 teachers, “only a handful had experience with more than e-mail and a word-processing program” (Newman, 2000, p. 777).