Sadly,
there are many teachers in classrooms today who fear technology in their
classroom. In the education world everyone hopes that all teachers would strive to evolve into highly effective
teachers. However, just like in any profession, there are those who work hard
to improve, some who seek out innovations daily, and others who would simply
like to just show up until retirement. Those teachers, who do not choose to use
all the tools at their discretion to grow, will be left behind in the ever
growing world of Ed tech.
During my
junior internship I had the displeasure of meeting one such teacher, who we
will call Mrs. J. This tenured teacher, of 38 years, is quite the expert on
classroom management, but absolutely refused to have a computer in her room.
Because she had no computer every email for in-service registration, student
questions, and parent concerns would have to be addressed in person, or via the
telephone. She was especially surprised when she walked into my classroom, and
heard music coming from my laptop. With a wide-eyed face of shock she whispered
to me, “I didn’t know that it could play music.” How Mrs. J managed to keep her
room isolated from the network, I have no clue… but my inner nerd hopes that
she claimed fear of it being a Cylon trap.
BSG SER 3 RAZOR Guardian
Cylon | by Elitist Czar
The
Internet and World Wide Web are true game changers in the education world.
Networking classroom computers offers administrators, teachers, and students to
communicate throughout the school district (Gunter, 2015, p. 51). Why bother
with paper attendance sheets, rubrics, or student records, when you could use a
secured network to store information? Who needs only text books in your room
when you could build a webpage to hold important links, reliable search
engines, interactive graphics (Gunter)? With so many Internet services
available to educators, it is crucial that we use these "tools [to support]
student collaboration and provid[e] interactive experiences (Price)."
Be an
innovator, and find ways to engage your students using message boards or
chat rooms. Find virtual reality games such as Minecraft or Number Munchers to
add a “balance of play” (Gallagher) to homework. Foster a classroom of connectivism by engaging with students using
instant messages or interactive whiteboard tutorials. Record a vlog (Gunter, 2015, p. 72) of quick homework tips,
or create a weekly podcast to give students kudos. It is up to us to not be
fearful of these changes, but lead the revolution in being technologically savvy
educators.
Resources
Gallgher, C. (2015, June 3). 5 Things About Minecraft That
Worry Parents. Retrieved September 18, 2015, from
http://edutechniques.com/?p=6936
Gunter, R., & Gunter, G. (2015). Communications,
Networks, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. In Teachers discovering
computers: Integrating Technology in a Changing World (Eighth ed., pp.
1-489). Boston, MA: CengageLearning.
Price, S. (2014, September 19). EdTech Apps for the
Collaborative Classroom. Retrieved September 18, 2015, from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shayla-r-price/edtech-apps-for-the-colla_b_6184666.html
Wow, my heart hurts for the students in her class who have to suffer from the lack of technology in that classroom. Wait until she sees an iPad and the witch-craft of the screen that reacts to your touch! I'm sure she is the type of teacher who still believes in VHS tapes and has that box/tube TV that's seat-belted in to the A/V cart with the squeaky wheels. But enough of that - I really enjoyed reading your post and that it hinted on a bigger theme. I think as educators, beyond just technology, there is a responsibility to use all of the new tools available to us, whether that be technology, techniques, or ideas students bring in to the classroom. If we expect our students to have an eagerness to learn or "intellectual curiosity", then we must "dare" or challenge ourselves to explore new things and ideas - and to present them to our students in a non-threatening manner.
ReplyDeleteMore to the point - While I'm sure that you and I both would agree on a few things with Mrs. J - that there is still value to having moments free from technology - I completely stand with you that the students, parents, and co-workers of this teacher deserve for her to be a better professional. Someone that they can easily and regularly communicate with through what has now become the standards of the work-place for communication (email).
I can tell you that technology has made every facet of my job so much easier in interacting with my students. I couldn't imagine not having access to our campus' Canvas site to post messages, critical course content needed for their courses, and to be able to email them for various updates. I look forward to the day when an educator not leveraging technology is not tolerated, and that we have a society that recognizes the importance of and expects an integrated curriculum.
Last comment on Mrs. J - does she realize that someone has walked on the moon? Anyways, just my thoughts! Enjoyed your blog style!
Derek, your wit and humor are greatly appreciated lol. If the iPad is witchcraft, than I can only imagine what she would think of Siri!
DeleteThank you for playing Devil's advocate and pointing out that there are a few benefits to a isolated classroom. I think that the lack of multimedia in a class can foster a sense of imagination. With so much brightly colored media and a plethora of repetitious games at their fingertips, children have forgotten how to play. Balance may be key.
Thanks for commenting :)
I can certainly understand how technology could seem a bit scary for teachers who are set in their ways. Even though I am in my younger twenties, and arguably “should” know how to use technology, I am often intimidated when I hear about new programs that I need to learn or I see the high-tech presentations of others while I stick to simple, pre-made templates on PowerPoint. The one trend in technology that I am actually excited for, however, is the fact that programs are becoming increasingly more user friendly! (This certainly should not take away from the value of those actually trained in fields of technology by making everyone feel as if they are instant experts, but I am happy that I can simply manage to use a program without causing an “error” warning on my computer.) Like you said in your post, teachers must constantly be innovators in the classroom to keep students engaged in learning. It is a constant process, to both remind myself that “technology is my friend” and to continuously adapt to new advancements in technology, I try my best to be that innovator you describe and put forth my best tools for helping my students learn.
ReplyDelete-Katie