I ask them to show me how to do it, and that classroom is off and running. But teachers need training and support beyond what students can offer. Amy Talisman, principal at the Bessie Carmichael Elementary School in San Francisco, said it took over a year to get the school's computers up and running on the Internet. Talisman's school does not have a technology coordinator, a position that's become increasingly common in the past five years at schools across the country. Instead, the school relies on volunteers to train teachers to use software and hardware.
Teachers have so little time to plan and they are exhausted when they go home for the day.
Microsoft has detected the gap between technology and teachers and has plans to remedy the problems, possibly even capitalize on them. This inspired Microsoft to step back and evaluate how they could help. This year, Microsoft sponsored a series of summer institutes to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom. Microsoft said more than 3,500 teachers nationwide participated in its summer program. IBM and other computer companies also have programs to help teachers integrate technology into their classrooms.