In today's society technology is everywhere; walking into a coffee shops, down the street, and now in elementary schools. According to Bhaskar (2013), 54% of 21st century kids are using mobile devices as early as 5-8 years old. Another statistic says that 30% of apps on parents smart phones are dowloaded specifically for their children’s use (Bhaskar, 2013). These statistics don't really surprise me, because it has become apparent to me that we are living in a Digital world. With technology rapidly increasing in todays society, it only seems fit that technology increases in our education system. There are many arguments stating how beneficial technology can be in the classroom, however there are still some people that argue against the use of it in the classroom.
One of the main arguments against the use of technology in the classroom is that it reduces physical activity (Bhaskar, 2013). This is a very valid point because when I think of technology, I picture a child sitting in a chair in front of a glowing computer screen. Although, technology takes many different forms now, such as mobile phones, tablets, and other gaming devices. The Wii for example is a gaming device that utilizes motion sensors to create an active gaming experience, which encourages physical activity. Another argument brought up by Drake, Reid, and Kolohon (2014), is that some teachers are hesitant to use technology because they fear that because students know so much they may replace the teachers in the learning process. This is again a valid concern for teachers, however I think that teachers should see that as a possible teaching strategy; getting the students to teach them therefore improving the student's understanding of the subject. Despite the arguments against the use of technology in the classroom, there are also lots of potential benefits.
Both Bhaskar (2013) and Wainwright (2014) argue that technology can help cater to the diversity learning styles in students. Additionally, other benefits include: helping prepare students for their future occupations, which are likely to be heavily reliant on technology; students can access the most up-to-date information almost instantaneously; and that it can help students learn responsibility and to take control of their own learning (Wainwright, 2014). These are just some of the benefits that I found most interesting and applicable to education, however there are many more that I didn't touch on.
In the video linked below (Little Kids...Big Potential), the teacher created the video to show how her grade 1 students used technology in their classroom and how it improved their learning environment. The video looks at how the students utilize blogs, wikis, Skype, videos, and other websites to work together with not only the peers in their classroom but with students all over the world. This video also showed how the students improved traditional skills learned in classrooms (ie. reading and writing) in less traditional ways (ie. blogs and games with captions). I believe that it was trying to demonstrates how different technology can help students learn things in different ways than the traditional approaches. Although this video is older, I still believe it's overarching message is consistent today.
I was so inspired by this teacher and her class, that I was able to find her class blog which talks about more of her classes and their incorporation of technology. This website includes her blog posts about everyday educational experiences, books that she has written, as well as presentation handouts for conferences she has spoken at. If you want to find out more about her, check out her webpage: http://kathycassidy.com
In conclusion, I can confidently say that I plan to incorporate technology in my classroom in some way, shape, or form; whether that be tablets, laptops, webpages, Smart board technology, or some other form of technology. I strongly believe that technology is the future and that if we try to resist it that our students will be at risk for losing interest or not gaining valuable skills that they need in the future.
References:
- Bhaskar, S.(2013). Impact of technology in elementary classrooms. [Weblog]. Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/trends/658-impact-of-technology-in-elementary-classrooms
- Drake, S., Reid, J., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st-century learner. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.
- Wainwright, A. (2014). 10 REASONS today’s students need technology in the classroom. [Weblog]. Retrieved from http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/10-Reasons-Today-s-Students-NEED-Technology-in-the-Classroom
Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteIts get that you created a discussion around such a prevalent part of society, like technology. Your blog was extremely engaging to read because you took such different perspectives on the topic, which really showed the well roundness of your arguments. It was extremely beneficial for you to include a video that was directly related to your discussion around using technology in the classroom. Being a future educator it was extremely useful for me to see physically how teachers are including technology in the classroom, as it really sparked me to start thinking about the ways in which I could in the future. Moving forward, I too agree with you about incorporating video game in the classroom in an educational way. Speaking form personal experience I find that children that engaging in videos games in the classroom do not realize the educational components that are in the game, therefore engage in it more, taking more things away from then they realize. Taking “Video Games in the classroom” last year really changed my perspective on certain video games and the use of technology in the classroom. For example, the professor often talked about how big Minecraft Is with children these days, and the education components that are apart of the game. I think as future education we need to get to know our students likes and dislikes and incorporate them into daily lessons. Videos games playing such a large part in the lives of children, we have no other choice then to include to keep them motivated and open with the possibilities videos games have for education and the future.
Overall, great job on your blog I look forward to reading your next one. Lastly, I leave you with a question; When and why is video games such a prevalent thing within society today?
This is a well written and nicely organized blog post Taylor! It highlighted a few arguments that I had not previously considered. Specifically, I like how you linked using technology in the classroom to catering to different learning styles. I agree with this suggestion and I also feel that technology encourages students to be creative and in control of their learning. In lecture we talked about creativity being the most admirable higher level thinking skill therefore, I feel that introducing technology into primary grades would help to develop this level of thinking. Have you completed a placement or co-op in a classroom that successfully integrated technology to help encourage creative thinking?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you suggested both positive and potential negative impacts of having technology incorporated into the classroom. It allowed me, as a future educator, to develop a more informed opinion about how technology could be incorporated into my classroom. I agree with Chelsea that students seem to really enjoy leaning through ipads, tablets, video games, smart boards etc. and that these learning tools can create fun ways to engage with and fulfill course expectations. This being said, I feel that too much reliance on technology could take away from teacher-student interactions as well as peer socialization. I wonder how technology in the classroom would impact children at different ages and stages of development. Thanks for sharing!!
First of all, this is a fascinating blog, Taylor! As a future kindergarten teacher, I found the statistics about the use of technology by very young children to be particularly intriguing. I also enjoyed your video link featuring Grade 1 students in a Canadian classroom, which illustrates that even very young readers and writers can successfully use technology to develop literacy skills. I was surprised, actually, that the children in the video were so engaged, given their limited typing and spelling skills. However, their genuine enthusiasm for learning games and blogs was obvious, validating your point that technology helps students take control of their own learning.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I question is whether the use of technology creates the expectation of learning as entertainment. I’m not saying learning should be dull, but I wonder if playing colourful, animated games—with literal bells and whistles—results in boredom in the face of less stimulating activities, like reading books or solving math problems. Have you considered this same concern?
Overall, Taylor, you have created an informative and insightful first blog entry. Thanks in particular for sharing the link to teacher Kathy Cassidy’s blog. You are absolutely right—she is inspiring! My own experience with technology in the very young classroom is limited, so I look forward to learning from her posts.