Dr. David Thornburg (2004) focuses the discussion of
technology integration by distinguishing between doing things differently and
doing different things. This distinction defines the change in my approach to integrating
technology in the classroom. With a focus on preparing students for a 21st
century workplace, a new skill set will be incorporated into the curriculum
with a grassroots effort from the bottom up.
This change in approaches will require a change in teaching to engage
students in meaningful activities that reflect their interests and abilities
(Prensky, 2008). This student centered focus with the use of tools that many
teachers may not be comfortable with, may be a challenge for some teachers and an
inspiration to others. I have enjoyed the exploration of new tools and the
potential for meaningful and effective instruction that they may bring to my
classroom.
Reflections
on EDUC 6710 – The Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society
The required elements of this course for creating a
weblog, working on a wiki, and publishing a podcast were intimidating. However,
the discussion of using these tools is meaningless without the application.
Weblogs are tools that eliminate the limits of the classroom and class period
while storing and sharing the learning of a student or class (Richardson,
2010). After posting to a blog as part of an assignment, I developed buy-in
minutes later when I received a response from the blog host. The dialogue that
was created was meaningful and asynchronous, allowing me to share ideas with a
teacher in another state with a very different skill set. This globalization is
what Friedman (2005) refers to in his article “It’s a Flat World After All”. By
completing a group project on a wiki for the course, the pros and cons of
collaborative task completion on wikis became very clear and allowed me to
evaluate specific guidelines that would be needed to prevent some of the cons
from interfering with students’ success on wiki projects in my classroom. Most
surprisingly, I found the podcast easy and fun to create. Podcasts offer the
ability to listen to or watch a brief presentation at your convenience. This is
a tool I would have likely avoided out of fear of the unknown and will now be
certain to incorporate into my classroom immediately.
The 21st century skills that students
will need for success in the 21st century workplace include
collaboration, the use of technology, and problem solving (Partnership for 21st
Century Skills, no date). This shift from content information to applicable skills
requires a shift in approaches within the classroom. Teachers are no longer the
great provider of information as students have access to all the information we
have, and more, through the internet; therefore, this shift should be naturally
occurring and driven by the needs of the student. Teachers will need to learn
more about the background knowledge, experiences, and interests of their
students in order to develop and deliver effective instruction (Richardson,
2010; Prensky, 2006). In order to develop the skills of problem solving and collaboration,
classroom instruction needs to be student centered instead of teacher centered.
Students need the opportunity to develop these skills through experimentation,
guided instruction, and collaborative learning. Teachers need to step away from
the front of the classroom and create a learning environment that focuses on the
student, the learning process, and “constructionism”, Papert’s theory defined
by Dr. Chris Dede and Dr. David Thornburg as students learning through the
process of creating artifacts (Laureate Education, Inc, 2010). This is an important
step in maintaining the engagement of students while developing skills they
will need for the modern workplace.
Life-long learning and education has always been an important
part of being a teacher. It has never been more necessary than now. With the
fast rate at which technology is currently changing, teachers need to continue
learning about new technologies and more effective ways to incorporate
technology in the classroom (Keengwe, Onchwari, and Wachira, 2008). Additionally,
continuing education will allow teachers to model for students the importance
and interest in life-long learning, which is otherwise a difficult skill to
teach (ISTE, 2008). Just as I am continuing my education now in order to keep
up with the changes in students today, I will need to continue this process in
order to be effective throughout my career.
Armed with the knowledge, research, and experience
of using technology to increase the effectiveness of instruction and preparing
my students for the modern workplace, I also need to promote change. Many of
the articles I have read are five to ten years old, and still the changes they
support are not incorporated in current school policies. Many of the 21st
century skills, especially those related to collaboration and problem solving
are incorporated in the Common Core Curriculum that is being implemented in my
state starting this year (National Governors Association Center for Best
Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). The implementation of
this change provides me with a platform for advocating for and implementing change.
I will be able to use the new standards and my new knowledge in order to design
and implement new lessons and activities with students. As these are directly
related to our new curriculum, I will be able to share these ideas with my
administrators and colleagues in order to make change in my school. Student
achievement data is always being collected and I will monitor it closely for
improvements as the instruction becomes focused on 21st century
skills. Additionally, the behavior data (measured by the number of office referrals)
will likely reflect an increase in student engagement. If the data shows changes
in these areas, I will be more likely to gain support from administrators and other
teachers for the continued and increased implementation of technology and
student-centered activities. We may also be able to use this data to acquire
funding for more technology and access to technology that is currently blocked.
This is a time for change in education and I am now prepared to be an agent of
that change.
Long
Term Goal Setting
Goal
#1: Incorporate
the meaningful use of blogs, wikis, and podcasts in my classroom on a regular
basis so that my students can independently work with these tools.
Developing these skills in my students will provide
them with distinct advantages as they complete their education and enter the
work force. By incorporating collaborative learning, technology, and problem
solving, my students will develop key skills identified for success in the 21st
century workplace (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, no date).
This will require direct instruction, modeling, and scaffolding so that
students can become proficient and productive in the use of these tools.
Accomplishing this goal will require extensive planning so that all content
goals are incorporated effectively, technology is available and working, and
students are effectively prepared for learning. The biggest challenge in
achieving this goal will be access to the appropriate websites on the school
computer network. Prensky (2008) describes my school when he explains that many
have restricted access because they believe that it will have a negative effect
on education. I will need to work with my technology coordinator and students
to identify blog and wiki sites that may work in school, as well as sites that
students may be able to access from home or the community. I plan to use my
students’ knowledge and expertise in the area of technology to identify the
best ways to work around this road block.
Goal
#2: Provide
my students with opportunities to collaborate with others in another city,
state, or country
Globalization is a major area of need for my
students, many of whom have never traveled to the city they live 10 miles away
from. In order to develop their skills in collaborating with people they do not
know or meet with face to face, I may begin by designing a collaborative
activity with another school in our district. From there, I will need to
identify connections with people in other states or countries who would like to
participate in a similar activity. Access to collaborative websites sites such
as wikis and blogs are blocked at my school which will present a challenge in
their use for these activities. As we develop collaborative activities within
the school district and state, I will appeal to the school district in regard
the use of wikis and blogs in school with evidence collected through student
work and progress. I hope that the engagement of my students will be reflected
in their learning and evident to policy makers and school leaders.
Self-Assessment
Checklist for Technology Integration Practices
At this time, my responses to most of the checklist
statements have not changed. However, I will need to review the checklist at
the end of the first semester to determine if my implementation of practice and
use of technology have changed as a result of this course. I specifically hope
to see a change in my ability to promote the use of technology and the instruction
in 21st century skills with other teachers in my department. Through
collaborative planning and team teaching, I hope to not only increase my own
use of these skills, but create big picture change by impacting multiple
classrooms.
Sources:
Friedman, T. (2005, April 3). It's a flat world,
after all. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com
International Society of Technology in Education
(ISTE): NETS for Teachers 2008. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards
/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008).
The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1),
77–92
Laureate Education, Inc (2010). Transforming the
Classroom with Technology, Parts 1 and 2 [Video]. (Available from Walden
University).
National Governors Association Center for Best
Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers (2010). Common Core State Standards. National Governors Association Center
for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington D.C.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A
report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author.
Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf
Prensky, M. (2006). Listen to the natives. Educational
Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.
Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning on the lights. Educational
Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts,
and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin.
Thornburg, D. (2004). Technology and education:
Expectations, not options. (Executive Briefing No. 401). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/expectations.pdf
