Mandatory Technology Seminars

As previously stated in earlier posts, sometimes the problem with technology is that the teacher doesn't know how to properly utilize it. It may not be the case that they don't want to know how to use it, it's just that they don't have the time! Sometimes these new technologies, like the SMARTBoard for instance, is put into the classroom without the teacher's knowledge or consent and the teacher is supposed to either:
1) already know how to use it, or
2) is supposed to read the manual to learn how to use it.
And let's be completely honest--how many people would honestly sit down and read a manual on something they didn't want to use?

So,  I think there should be a mandatory technology seminar, workshop, or emporium, that every teacher, no matter how young, old, or level of experience, must take at the end of the summer. They should be introduced to popular technologies that could possibly show up in their classrooms and how to use them properly and effectively.

I also think teachers should be taught how to use the technologies that students themselves are using (such as iPads and other tablets) and how those kinds of technologies could also be used in the classroom. I think students will be more engaged if they're using technology that they're already accustomed to.

Now, I understand that not every school has SMARTBoards, iPads, or any other hi-tech devices, but these seminars could also provide online technologies that students could use at home or at the local library.

While I do know that these seminars do exist, many of them are only optional and attract the teachers who like using technology. These workshops should be mandatory for every single teacher. The fact of the matter is times are changing and new forms of instruction are making their ways into the every day classroom. Instead of working against them, it's time to work with them.