The Evolution of Technology

This week's topic was to review the current research regarding educational technology.  Wow there is a lot out there!  After sorting through quite a few articles, I found one titled "From Pixel to Print: The role of videos, games, animations, and simulations within K - 12 education" by Project Tomorrow's Speak Up.  This research article caught my interest based on the title and the first few lines, about how education has migrated from word of mouth (which was popular in ancient Greece, where Socrates emphasized the importance of the oral tradition), to written texts/resources (first made popular by Plato, Socrates' student), to the now ever present use of technology.  

Socrates - Image Source

Plato - Image Source

            

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Given the information and research that is presented in this article, I think that it would be beneficial for teachers, and people in the field of education, to read the current statistics about how technology is impacting teaching.  There are many references to previous years and how the percentage of technology has drastically increased in the classroom (via videos, game based learning, online curriculum, self created videos, etc.).  I found it interesting that when principals were asked about the benefits of using technology during the school day, the key words that stood out were increasing student engagement, extending learning (beyond the standard school day), personalizing instruction for students, increasing the relevancy and quality of teaching, and improving the teachers skills (with technology).  Helping students stay actively engaged and extending their learning beyond the school day, seemed to be a reoccurring theme.  

MacBook Air - Image Source

Technology is not going away, instead it is improving and expanding everywhere, so making sure teachers stay up to date on this topic and current information is very beneficial, so that they are able to stay abreast to all that is out there.  That being said, it is also important for teachers and staff to continue to receive the appropriate professional development and training, with the new technology, so that they are able to use it the best way possible, to enhance their teachings and challenge the students.  

I would hope that school districts read the current research, to find out the benefits of various technology, before purchasing it for the district and/or asking teachers to implement it in their classrooms.  From my experience, and from information that is given to us by our technology department, the staff look into all aspects of possible technology.   What is also just as important, is also continuing to monitor and keep up to date on the best way to maintain student privacy.  In today's world of hackers and malware, school districts do not want to put any of the students, or staff, at risk when information is posted online.  Overall, I think that given the amount of technology that is available to use, it is important for educators to read about the current research, in order to be familiar with the new information, and also to determine the best way to incorporate it with their students.    

Active Learning in the Classroom

Reflecting on my personal learning experiences growing up vs. learning in the present classrooms, active learning was not really an option for teachers, whose classes I was in. I remember sitting in my elementary school rooms, with my pencil and paper(s), and writing endless amounts of notes, as fast as I could.  I did not like to miss any information, just in case it was on the test.  We would get handouts quite frequently too, and a highlighter was one of my best tools to use. The notes and handouts would be our main way to study for any quizzes or tests that we had.  I learned the same way in middle and high school, the traditional learning methods. It was just the way school worked, and if you missed information or did not write it down, you had to hope one of your friends or classmates caught it.  During my undergraduate coursework, I was exposed to more online resources and using the world wide web to research topics.  Graduate school was really when I was immersed into active learning, which was something new, but extremely relevant.

From my own experience with active learning and being a school based speech - language pathologist, I feel that keeping kids engaged and empowered in the classroom, really gives them the motivation to want to learn more.  They have the opportunity to be creative and use techniques that help them learn best.  

Image Source: Learning Styles

There are some reservations about letting students indulge in this type of learning at school.  (This can occur when students, who are working with peers or independently get off task, or when students just click on links or items, so that they appear to be working.) Parameters and structure need to be presented to students, so that they understand what they can and cannot do, when given the ability to use active learning tools in the classroom.  Overall, teachers utilizing active learning tools and incorporating those techniques in their lessons will not only heighten a students engagement level, but will also give the students more confidence and ownership in their work.  

The assignment given to us during our class, gave me more insight into how classroom teachers use active learning during their day.  It was helpful to see examples, from other teachers and their respective subject areas, and how the students took ownership of their work and gathered their own information and thoughts.  As we partnered up and were given blogs that reflected active learning as our assignment, it extended my knowledge of how others use it in their teachings.  Our Prezi presentation pulled various components from the blog/assignment.  The students were given a topic and utilized audioBoom and Pic Collage to demonstrate what they learned about the American Revolution.  

Image Source: Blog

Image Source: Blog

I found all of the blogs that were discussed very interesting!  How neat for students to have these opportunities in their classrooms now!  The   students demonstrated an increase in their independence, were able to communicate with their peers, and used their creativity to produce their projects.

Each week, as I learn more about technology and the tools that are out there, I often reflect on my teachings and the students I work with.  Having a variety of tools in your repertoire, when differentiating and working with students with special needs, helps keep the student engaged and also targets their learning styles.