The world is shifting toward technology and it has affected all aspects of life including education. Teachers are constantly tasked with finding new engaging ways to deliver content to our students and get them to critically think. Fortunately, there is a lot of technology already out there that can help educators. Technology is becoming the forefront of our lives and is much more than an extension tool for teachers. In one of the assigned readings it states, “... an English classroom may explore social justice movements by looking at the rhetorical structure of hashtags in social networks…” (ILA, 2018). Students should be using different types of digital media to learn content through teacher instruction. In addition to technology being a useful tool to deliver content, students today are very tech savvy themselves, sometimes more than their teachers. In another assigned reading it states, “Need help getting the WiFi booster to work properly? Ask a student. There is no question that today’s schools are filled with digitally savvy children who have grown up with technology and the internet of things.” (Misha, 2023). Since so many students are able to work a computer with ease, we should allow them to use this strength in an educational context.
Although technology is a useful tool, it does pose some challenges. One being that technology can be misused by students. For example, “Rather than preparing classrooms to plug in, download, or sync new tools, classrooms must facilitate authentic learning goals for students…” (ILA, 2018). This means that we should be applying technology in classrooms, but in a thoughtful way with literacy as our learning goal. Another issue that technology poses is the risk for inequality due to lack of accessibility. For example, “The inequities of schooling are exacerbated when literacy instruction focuses on tools that may not be fully accessible in all schools.” (Misha, 2023). Certain technological tools and platforms may not be affordable for lower-income schools. Not to mention the lack of chromebooks and tablets. These inequalities need to be acknowledged when moving forward with technology as the forefront of education.
Although I have used technology in many of my lessons, I have also experienced the challenges expressed in the assigned readings. Sometimes it is hard to do a technology based lesson while strictly following learning goals and making sure students aren’t misusing the technology. For example, one day I was doing a simulation on the Earth’s revolution and walking around the classroom I noticed many students not on task and doing other things on the computer. Yes there are solutions to monitor students' screens from my own computer, but it is hard to do that when I'm circulating around the room offering extra support to students who need it. I have also experienced the inequity that comes with educational technology. As stated in earlier posts, I work at a low income district where many students do not have access to computers or wifi. Our school does the best to supply students with chromebooks but there simply isn’t enough and the high school grades are a priority. Right now 8-12th grade students have chromebooks but the 7th graders in my building do not. Therefore, it is hard to assign work that require a computer when my students simply do not have access to one.
Despite the challenges technology poses, it still is useful and necessary in schools. In my own classroom, I want to continue to use technology as well as multiple types of media. The reading gave examples of ways to implement different types of media like Twitter in the classroom. The text states, “Searching for topics through keywords and hashtags means that multiple authors’ perspectives offer a polyphony of new ideas while inviting students to contribute to an ongoing and meaningful dialogue.” (ILA, 2018). Students can use familiar and engaging social media outlets and combine them with their education. Another way to implement digital literacy is to simply collaborate with other educators. For example, “Teachers find success in her district by using collaborative planning, adding digital components to competencies already in the curriculum and eventually developing an interdisciplinary, authentic experience for students.” (Misha, 2023). Talking to colleagues and sharing ideas is sometimes the best way to learn about new programs to use in the classroom.
Further Questions:
How much of our instruction should be related to technology?
How do we make sure students aren’t misusing technology?
How do we address the inequity technology poses?
International Literacy Association. (2018). Improving Digital Practices for Literacy, Learning,
and Justice: More Than Just Tools. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-improving-digital-practices-literacy-learning-justice.pdf
Misha, A. (2023). Advancing Digital Literacy for a Digitally Inclusive Future. Dell
Technologies. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-03-29-advancing-digital-literacy-for-a-digitally-inclusive-future
Hi Brittany,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on this week’s blog post. Your opening sentence was very strong. You state, “The world is shifting toward technology and it has affected all aspects of life including education” which shows how as educators and people we cannot escape technology; we must embrace it and change with the time. You mentioned that educators should be using digital media to help guide their instruction. I think this really increases student engagement. As an educator, it can be intimidating. Although as you mention, there are many resources that teachers can use to help them.
I love how you mentioned the quote from the article about asking a student for help if you can’t get the technology to work correctly. This quote had a strong impact on me because I have many memories of teachers, especially substitute teachers, asking students for help with the technology in the room. I was never the student who was hopping out of my seat to help, as I wasn’t as technology savvy as my peers. However, there were always an abundant amount of classmates who’d be able to help because it’s a strength of theirs. I agree with your thought that educators should play to their strengths which means they must be well versed with digital technology.
One of the questions you have posed is the following: How much of instruction should be related to technology? This is a very difficult question to answer and I think it depends on several variables such as students’ age. For example, as a preschool teacher, I do not like integrating technology in my lessons for more than 10% of the lesson. This might look like a 3 minute song in a thirty minute lesson. I find that although engaging, technology can become a quick distraction and increase stimming behaviors, thus decreasing focus and attention to task. I also know a lot of my students get a lot of screen time at home. I understand that their parents need to keep themselves sane and may increase screen time to do so. Therefore, I like to keep it pretty minimal for my special education preschoolers who are cognitively anywhere between two and four years old. What are your thoughts on this question?
I have enjoyed learning from you this week and appreciate your thoughts on this topic!
Hi Brittany--I am interested in using social media in the classroom. In the public history world, I see social media as such a good resource for community collaboration--and view it also as a newer literacy that most people are well versed in. I think there are a lot of possibilities for public history projects using social media--some of which I'm considering for our work in this class on community engagement!
ReplyDeleteWhen you mentioned trying to monitor your students' monitors :), I thought of my daughter's class and the reports she shares with me about who was watching Youtube instead of working on the assigned task--somehow that's different than just not paying attention, right? Or as a teacher do you you view it equally? I'm wondering if the digital version becomes more punitive than, say, doodling or staring out the window.