PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION 1 Running Head: Philosophy of Technology in Education Philosophy of Technology in Education Daryl Lepley Introduction to Instructional Technology The University of Akron Dr. Cheryl Ward March 23, 2011
Introduction Education is dramatically changing and a big reason for the changes is due to the use and availability of different forms of technology. Schools are quickly losing the chalkboard methods of education and instead are moving to a digital realm of teaching, with a limitless list of digital resources found on the World Wide Web. It is important to note that some of the older methods of education must still have a place in the classroom, but technology can enhance and expand on those practices. Technology will allow teachers and students to be more equal than ever before. In years past teachers and the textbook were the resource for all curriculum, yet now, teachers can lead and allow students to lead their own education. There are many advantages to integrating technology in the classroom, but there are also obstacles that will need to be overcome. Experience, time, and collaboration will begin to make technology as seamless in the classroom as paper and pencil, which needs to be the goal. Preparing to Teach in the Modern Classroom What is the ideal classroom for the modern world? Many scholars will say that the new age of education will be student driven and inquiry based. That sounds great, but actual curriculum cannot be forgotten. Some people would argue that technology could make teachers irrelevant. However, if students were left to their own devices, their education would likely not be well rounded. Often we forget that children need direction and because of this teachers will never be irrelevant, despite great advances in technology. Children will always need guidance for their education and teachers will fill that role. However, teachers must be willing to adapt and incorporate new technologies and strategies in the classroom, or as Scott McLeod would say in his blog, teachers may become dangerously irrelevant (2011). Teachers will have to move away from chalkboards, overhead lamps/transparencies, pull down maps and other outdated instructional technologies in order to keep up with the modern student. Teachers need to be versed on the implementation of technology in the classroom and they must also be given strategies to use this in the classroom. Educators will need to use technology in the classroom so it becomes an ordinary tool instead of an extraordinary project with limited access.
PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION 3 The Difficulty of Re-inventing the Classroom The difficulty in the integration of technology is the complete overhaul of the educational system. Unfortunately, only the newest graduates of the teaching profession are being versed in the new wave of education, which leaves a large percentage of the teaching population that are already behind the curve. When people are unfamiliar with particular content or knowledge it is only reasonable to assume that they are not comfortable implementing that in the classroom. According to Steven Abbey (2009), changing our schools would involve more than a simple tweak. The digital curriculum, one that uses technology to facilitate student learning would need a complete overhaul to the standard norm of teaching. The digital curriculum would be a school setting where each student has access to a computer and they lead their own education. Abbey goes on to mention that schools would need to completely re-invent themselves (2009). To make these now radical, but necessary, changes schools would need not only the funds to implement these efforts but also the support of IT professionals and administration personnel. The transition to a different teaching style will be difficult enough for teachers to implement, meaning the extra help will be crucial to make sure these changes are ongoing and not given up when this becomes difficult (and it certainly will at first). Abbey asked some key questions when it comes to implementing the digital curriculum, what is the structure of the school day, how do we set up student workflow to be self-initiated and self-driven, and what standardized assessments do we use if we are emphasizing the 21 st century skills (2009)? Furthermore, it may be naïve to expect the implementation of the modern classroom to go smoothly especially if the students are versed in the traditional classroom experience. Time, experience, and collaboration will eventually help curb these start up difficulties. The Ideal Classroom The ideal classroom will be one where students and teachers will work together to expand learning on an individual basis. This is a difficult task due to many factors outside of the classroom setting. However, with
the introduction of a 1:1 classroom this ideal can become more of a reality. A 1:1 classroom will take some adjustment for not only the educators but students, too. Old habits fall slowly and time and patience will be needed as the transition takes place. Introducing an Ipad or a netbook will take time because the cool factor will need to dissipate. Apple Ipads or netbooks will be crucial for the 1:1 classroom. Laptops are good, but they are more expensive and almost too much power for the classroom needs. Netbooks are cost-effective and work like a laptop, they may be the best alternative to setting up a 1:1 classroom. However, the Ipad will revolutionize the classroom simply because of the numerous capabilities this tablet can possess. Apple is famous for their AppStore, which already boasts a bevy of educational apps for school consumption. The netbook or Ipad will be the new pencil and paper. Ideally the classroom can be turned into a paperless room where students always have a task to complete. The classroom will be complete with wireless access where students can communicate with one another and the teacher to aide their progress. The students will constantly be reminded that they hold the power to their future, they are in the drivers seat. The teacher will be of the utmost importance because they will need to not only facilitate but they will need to coach students who are stuck or slow to get started. Students can really take ownership in this setting because they can work at their own pace, set their own learning goals (with teacher approval and guidance), and try new ways to learn. The Best of All Worlds: Technology, Content, and Pedagogy as one Although technology can be fun, it is important to remember that the purpose of school is to get an education, not to simply play games and network on social media. TPCK, is the combining of technological knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge into one idea or framework (Association, 2008). Technology has to be used to expand pedagogy and content knowledge. Technology simply cannot be used to just use it. The use of technology in the classroom must help student learning it should not solely be used for edutainment purposes. There are so many resources that are fun and exciting but if these resources are used simply because they can, then the education purpose may be unavailable. TPCK attempts to limit any potential downfall to integrating technology in the classroom. The modern teacher will be able to use pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge through technology to reach the modern student.
PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION 5 Social studies are an interesting case study for TPCK. Due to varying disciplines of social studies, this subject lacks the substantive and syntactic structures for producing knowledge (Association, 2008). In other words, because social studies can be broken up in so many ways, like history, geography, and government to name a few it is difficult to narrow the focus of this subject because it is so encompassing. According to John K. Lee, pedagogical actions in social studies with technology include, locating and changing digital resources to use in the classroom. There is an enormous amount of websites on the Internet and teachers can help limit or narrow resources for their students. Secondly, teachers need to facilitate students work so that they can learn how to select their own resources on the Internet. Social studies teachers need to help students learn how to select good resources and navigate these sources. Thirdly, educators need to work with students to develop media literacy skills. Essentially with all the differing forms of technology from web-based resources to television it is important to teach students how to focus their searches so they do lose hope in seemingly endless supply of information. Fourth, teach students how to use presentational capabilities of the Web to motivate student, like Web 2.0 applications, or TeacherTube. Lastly, use the Internet to extend collaboration and communication among your students and others using social networks (Association 2008). Educators will also need to use these pedagogical cues to narrow their focus on the content at hand. If the class is discussing government and politics then those previous actions would need to follow the content. Assessment and Evaluation One of the unique possibilities of a 1:1 classroom is assessment and evaluation. Educators would have the opportunity to use new means to assess and evaluate student knowledge. Although testing will always be important in many ways, project based assessments will allow students to further their learning experiences. The core indicators that can be met here are assessing student learning not only within the core subject area but with the use of technology standards, too (Williamson & Redish, 2009). Technology assessments can also be cataloged, analyzed, and reported to help other educators as we move towards implementing technology within all classrooms (Williamson & Redish, 2009). Lastly, when using technology in the class it is important to understand effective use of technology in the classroom. Technology that is mostly for entertainment purposes
may not be conducive to student learning. The goal to technology implementation is to continue to have students learn given curriculum. If the technology fails to evaluate student learning or enhance student learning it may be unnecessary and other means could be necessary (Williamson & Redish, 2009). Truly the key to assessment and evaluation with technology is integrating new practices with proven methods and figuring out other ways to assess this student knowledge. 21 st Century Skills in a 21 st Century World. 21 st Century Skills are simple in logic but provide a great impact for learning. Governor Ted Strickland helped establish the 21 st Century Skills for Ohio that combined the 3 Rs with the four Cs, which are critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation (Delisle, 2009). The goal of the 21 st Century Skills is to integrate technology in the classroom to help meet the four Cs. Many educators already practice those ideas in the classroom, but technology can make that information easier to obtain and use. The 21 st Century Skills in Ohio will look to establish a framework for student-centered 21 st century learning, measure students in Ohio against others in the world, expand learning opportunities and prepare Ohio educators to use technology to facilitate this learning (Delisle, 2009). The concepts that are being championed in education are moving quickly away from memorize and regurgitate to critical thinking and problem solving scenarios that students may eventually encounter in the real world. With the wealth of resources available on the Internet it is crucial that students are made aware of this information so that they can learn to sort, filter, and choose relevant information for their learning. Technology can make this material so much more accessible and it has the potential to be different for every student. Ideally working with 21 st century skills could benefit students of all learning styles. All jobs will require use of these four Cs in one form or another and that serves the purpose of the strong implementation of these strategies in the classroom. Social and Ethical Use of Technology There are many potential pitfalls to full implementation of a 1:1 classroom. Initially the educator would constantly be monitoring student work to make sure they are staying on task. Having a wide access to the Internet is a very tempting medium for adolescent students. Some day students may not feel like working and people who say otherwise have not spent much time in a classroom dealing with students of this nature. There
PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION 7 will also be security issues, what kind of information or websites should be blocked? The digital curriculum, according to Evan Abbey, would have to be opened up for teachers and students to experiment with different digital tools (2009). Again, this is a well-thought premise but due to inappropriateness of some information certain sites and information need to be blocked for student access. Another factor would be social media or instant messaging. 21 st Century Skills and technology integration call for greater collaboration and communication, but that can lead to more problems with cyber-bullying that educators and administration would have to be aware of on a daily basis. Hopefully, teachers would have complete access to all forms of messaging that are going on in the classroom to ensure student safety among the cowards who hide behind unspoken words. Students need to be aware of the social issues that regard technology. Too many students will post material that should not be posted and they truly are confused as to the purpose of limiting information and protecting their privacy. If students are constantly wired in this could pose an even greater risk if certain sites are allowed. It is important for students to learn of these consequences and learn from the mistakes of others. A Simple Philosophy What type of education is best? Should a 1:1 classroom be based on a constructivist viewpoint, which would be the student is the leader in the classroom with the educator helping facilitate the lesson (Brooks & Brooks, 1993) or are traditional lesson necessary. Perhaps both are needed in a 1:1 classroom. Sometimes teachers are good at what they do, and if gifts in presenting material are held by an educator it must be used. Discussion and lecture can be of the utmost importance just as much as learning individually. True sometimes students may become bored but all children will complain of this from time to time. Combining the best of both worlds could be essential to helping all students learn. The 1:1 scenario does not have to be only studentbased. The teacher can provide a great wealth of knowledge on their subject, too. One of the great pieces of technology is the use of video, but if a teacher is a gifted and knowledgeable speaker and already they re in the classroom why watch a video? Teachers as resources need to be tapped, too. Students need to be introduced to all different types of learning and despite all of the great new resources and methods to be successful in a global economy students need to learn how to adapt. Students need to learn how to have success in multiple ways. To
say a student can only learn one way is very limiting, and educators cannot fall into a trap that prevents different learning in the classroom. Therefore, traditional lessons like direct instruction and discussion are just as crucial as collaboration and student-inquiry based projects. With the proper implementation, time to evolve, and allowing schools to keep up with expanding technologies the modern classroom can work. We need to utilize methods from the past that have provided success and use different technologies illuminate content for all students. References Abbey, E. (2009). The digital curriculum [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.itecia.org/documents/filelibrary/2009_conference/handouts/the_digital_curri culum_31f3935ecbaba.pdf Association, A. (2008). Handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) for educators. New York, NY: Routledge. Brooks, J. & Brooks, M. (1993). In search of understanding: the case for constructivist classrooms, ASCD. Retrieved from http://www.ndted.org/teachingresources/classroomtips/constructivist%20_learning.htm Delisle, D. (2009, July). 21 st century readiness in Ohio. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/documents/oh_2-pager_01-10.pdf McLeod, S. (2011, January 28). Dangerously irrelevant technology, leadership, and the future of schools: some big questions for educators (and parents and policymakers) [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://bigthink.com/blogs/dangerously-irrelevant?page=2 Williamson, J, & Redish, T. (2009). Iste s technology facilitation and leadership standards: what every k- 12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society of Technology in Education.
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