Having technology in the classroom today is essential. We are living in a digital world, and it is important that students are prepared for this during their school years. In order to prepare them, we as teachers must also be trained in proper technology literacy. As stated by Hobbs, "Although investments in technology have increased significantly in the recent years, simply purchasing the latest digital technologies does not necessarily lead to the acquisition of digital and literacy media competencies." (Hobbs 2011) We as teachers need to be confident in our own technological abilities. It is not adequate enough to simply have all the latest technology, if we do not know what to do with it. In the work force, we need to be innovators or early adaptors, as stated by Rogers, and stay up to date on the new uses for technology.
Technology should not simply be a time-filler, babysitter, or source of busy work. When utilized correctly, it can extend learning far beyond the classroom. The higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy can be difficult to reach at times, but technology opens the doors to many more resources that can aide in reaching those goals. technology is also a great source for differentiation, as stated by Kuhn. One classroom alone is filled with several different learning styles and levels of education. Utilizing technology can help to bridge the gap for all learners.
In a perfect school in a perfect world, we would be surrounded by teachers who are innovators and early adopters. However, the unfortunate reality is that often times, we are surrounded by late majority and laggards. I strive to fall into one of the first two categories where ever I teach. Despite who I may be surrounded by, I can still choose to stay up to date on the latest technology and how to use it in my classroom and meet all my students needs at their own unique levels. Technology is a resource that should be utilized to diversify our teaching, not replace it.
References
Fullan, M. & Langworthy, M. (2014). A rich seam: How new pedagogies find deep learning. London: Pearson. Retrieved from
https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/global/Files/about-pearson/
innovation/open-ideas/ARichSeamEnglish.pdf
Hobbs, R. (2011). Empowering learners with digital and media literacy. Knowledge Quest, 39(5), 12-17. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Huitt, W. (2011). Bloom et al.'s taxonomy of the cognitive domain. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/bloom.pdf
Kuhn, M. S. (2008). Connecting depth and balance in class. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(1), 18-21. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Rogers, E. M. (1963). The adoption process II. Journal of Cooperative Extension, 1(2), 69-75. Retrieved from https://archives.joe.org/joe/1963summer/1963-2-a2.pdf
Hello Hailee! I do agree with you and enjoy reading your Blog.
ReplyDeleteHello Hailee! I do agree with you and enjoy reading your Blog. In todays word technology is everything, we are finding it is being used not only in the classroom but also in the workplace and our own home. I do believe that a small amount, if not most teachers have become burn out because of whatever reasons and that's what in my opinion is causing the lagging in their profession.
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