Looking back on education classes in college and the professional development I received early in my career, I can remember the importance of Bloom's Taxonomy. This hierarchy of learning begins with the basic skills of knowledge and ends with the evaluation of learning. Students must master each step before moving on to the new one. Some students would move quickly up the "ladder" and for some they would never make it to the top. This was difficult for teachers to create lessons for all students since students learn at a different pace. With the use of technology, students are now allowed to learn at their own pace and research the material. Students have more resources than ever to learn the concept and complete a project. Teachers must take the leap and incorporate technology and get out their head that it can't be done, I don't have enough time, I don't know how to help the students use technology, or I don't want to use technology. Technology is the way of this generation and we must all do our part to ensure student success and student learning.
Teachers must also realize that the time is now to take a step back and let their classroom be more student led than teacher led. I have noticed that I do less lecturing in front of the classroom and I do more of monitoring student activities. I still do my part as a teacher to cover the material and teach the standards but with the use of technology, I can assign a project or have the students do a hands-on activity and just let them go. Students are more apt to remember the material when they are having fun, enjoying class, and being actively engaged in learning. My classroom has become a more active classroom with more activities, projects, and research. Students are coloring, cutting, gluing, finding answers to problems, looking up formulas, and student-centered activities than ever before. I can also see that those who seemed to be "left behind" are now the ones making better grades and enjoying being at school and learning.
After reading the articles, reflecting on my classroom, and speaking with other colleagues there may still be some issues. Coming from a rural school, I know that not every household has the internet and access to a computer. We must be mindful that not all students are proficient with technology and we must do our job as educators to teach ALL students. Every district, every school, and every classroom is unique and it is our job to find out what works for our classroom and our students.
I agree with your assessment of technology in the classroom and the fact that teachers need to stop using excuses about using technology in the classroom. Technology changes so fast and it is difficult to keep up as teachers because of all the additional work that is required. It is hard as a teacher to admit that students may know more about it than they do. If we could, as the article by Huitt suggests, partner with students it could solve other problems teachers face. Problems such as boredom, keeping students engaged, and students achieving a deeper level of understanding. When the school I taught at allowed students to use chromebooks, I saw students more engaged in a lesson. I saw my special ed students achieve and master objectives using technology. The sense of self confidence was evident in all students when they could show me how to do something on the computer that I did not know how to do. Technology is a great tool if it is used in the right way in the classroom.
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