Technology Disruptions and Elementary Teachers' Problem Solving in an Urban Canadian District: A Case Study

This case study of one urban school district in British Columbia, Canada, examines technology-related disruptions to the teaching plans of seven midcareer elementary school teachers over a 1-year period. Despite having relatively good access to current digital technologies and relatively strong experience in using them, teachers commonly experienced disruptions to their plans that necessitated the use of diverse problem-solving strategies and supports. We examine the types of disruptions teachers recalled experiencing, the strategies they chose to address them, and the perceived success of those strategies in allowing teachers to carry through with their plans for classroom technology use in ways that preserved their pedagogical intent. Implications are discussed with regard to ways that districts might more effectively support elementary teachers’ technology use. (Keywords: technology, lesson planning, disruptions, barriers, professional development).