Elementary Education Online, 8(3), 771-781, 2009. lköretim Online, 8(3), 771-781, 2009. [Online]: http://ilkogretim-online.org.tr Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Information Technologies: The Case of Private Esentepe Elementary School  Erdal BALKI  , Ahmet SABAN  ABSTRACT: In this study, teachers’ perceptions and practices of information technologies (IT) were investigated. The study was conducted with all the teachers (n=29) working at Private Esentepe Elementary School in Konya during the 2006-2007 academic year. Data were collected through participant observation, interviews and document analysis, and analyzed descriptively. According to the results, teachers at Esentepe utilized information technologies in various ways. Information technologies bring advantages for both teachers and students, but it is also possible to face some disadvantages when they are overused in the teaching and learning process. The problems that teachers encounter in terms of IT applications can be caused by the inadequate technical equipment of the school, the lack of IT materials in classrooms and teachers’ lack of knowledge and ability to use IT in teaching. Teachers try to solve these problems by either asking the Information Technologies teacher in the school or producing their own problem solving methods. Key Words: information technologies, elementary school teachers, technology integration SUMMARY Purpose and Significance: Technology is the main dynamic of today’s information societies. So being out of the “technological progress” means “being out of life” in a way. Hence, the question “Is the integration of technology into schools necessary?” has lost its validity today. Instead, the question that is raised by many educators is that “How can technology integration into schools be possible?” This study was conducted to reveal teachers’ perceptions and practices of information technologies. Methods: This study was carried out with 29 teachers working at Private Esentepe Elementary School in Konya during the 2006-2007 academic year. The ages of teachers ranged from 24 to 57, with a mean age of 36. Similarly, the working experiences of teachers ranged from 1 year to 35 years, with a mean year of 14. Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and analyzed descriptively based on the research questions. Results: According to the results, teachers at Esentepe utilized information technologies in various ways (such as file managing, word-processing, electronic mail, internet, PowerPoint presentations, desktop publishing, digital video, web based learning, etc.). Information technologies bring advantages for both teachers and students (such as making the lesson more exciting, producing permanent learning), but it is also possible to encounter with some disadvantages (such as preventing hands-on learning, etc.) when they are overused. The problems that teachers face in terms of IT applications can be caused by the school’s inadequate technical equipment, the lack of IT materials in classrooms, or teachers’ lack of knowledge and ability to use IT in teaching. Teachers try to overcome these problems by either asking help from the Information Technologies teacher in the school or producing their own problem solving methods. Discussion and Conclusions: According to the participants, equipping the school with information technologies and offering teachers professional development opportunities as well as technical support are vital for teachers to adapt IT into their teaching. Hence, it is necessary for schools to employ “school technology coordinators” to supply technical support at the school level. School technology coordinating describes an occupation which is a mixture of an educator and a technician. It is suggested that a person who will take this responsibility must have at least three types of skills: communication skills, technical skills and organization skills.  This study is drawn out of the first author’s master’s thesis completed in July 2008.  Private Esentepe Elementary School’s Information Technologies Teacher, ebalki@selcuk.edu.tr  Assoc. Prof. Dr., Selcuk University, Ahmet KeleEoglu Faculty of Education, asaban@selcuk.edu.tr