Blood, sweat, and TEARS: 50 Years of Technology Implemation Obstacles

Leggett, W. P., & Persichitte, K. A. (1998). Blood, sweat, and TEARS: 50 years of technology implementation obstacles. TechTrends, 43(3), 33-36.

According to the article, teachers have faced significant obstacles in their attempts to implement and integrate technology in their classroom. The article goes on to state that these obstacles have remained unchanged for the last 50 years. In the mid-1990, the following barriers were identified in integrating technology: Time, Expertise, Access, Resources, and Support. The article provides a table of implementation factors, obstacles to technology implementation in the classroom, and possible solutions.

While this article was wrote in 1998, the content of the article is very relevant. The obstacles provided are still current. Teachers still face obstacle with lack of time, lack of personal and professional technology skills, lack of fiscal resources, and lack of technical support. The article provides possible solutions to each obstacle as well. A quote I found interesting from that article is as follows, "Additionally, we believe that enthusiastic teachers who possess the critical factors of time, expertise, and access will provide the catalyst for innovation and change in the classroom." Teachers often meet unrealistic expectations with limited resources due to their enthusiasm and drive.