Technology is an important part of the educational experience. In a lot of ways, technology has helped and even improved the class room setting. There is lesson planning software, lesson planning resources, and standards alignment software that assist in lesson preparation. Grading software assists in teacher tasks. Presentation software, multimedia hardware and software assist teachers in lecture and class presentations. Also, social media, teleconferencing, email, and other online discussions have improved collaboration and communication. There is a growing need to integrate technology into education to prepare students for contemporary life. There are also critical concerns about how technology is used. There are environmental factors, psychological factors, and personal filters that affect and can interfere with the communication process in education. Students also have different cognitive and learning styles that influence how they learn. It is important that the technology used compliments these needs and learning styles rather than complicate or interfere with them. In my opinion, technology has been used effectively. There are many standards and organizations like Common Core, ISTE, P21, TEAC, CAEP, and NCATE that help integrate technology into teaching and learning. Controversy arises over finances and "allotting time for integrating technology" into the classrooms. I am fairly optimistic about all the changes and improvements that have been made so far and hope that more are to come about the challenges that are still lingering.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a federally funded initiative to make standards for technology for students and teachers. One of their projects is the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS.) NETS "identifies definitive competencies for technology skills" that current and future educators should have for the educational experience of their students. The NET-T are standards of knowledge and skills of teachers, which is outside my current skill set. The NET-S "articulates basic technology competencies for students" and their application. This gladdens my heart because of the benefits of the infusion of learning already created and is very exciting for future goals of supporting student learning.
Digital natives are people that have grown up knowing technology. Digital immigrants learned about technology throughout their life and are less familiar with it. I am considered a digital native but I still would not consider myself to be tech savvy. I would agree that I am more familiar with technology than my elders, like my grandparents. But I also believe that it has a lot to do with the individual's experience and interest. My dad is much more tech savvy than I am because he uses technology frequently for work and must adapt as it changes. I have had less of a need for such knowledge and adaptation. My knowledge is somewhat limited to social media because that is what I use most frequently and am interested in. My teaches taught me most of what I know about computers and technology. They taught me how to use PowerPoint, Excel, and Word for assignments and projects. I imagine I have a lot to learn so that I can be as beneficial to my students someday as mine were for me in regards to technology.
You hit the nail on the head when you said "My dad is much more tech savvy than I am because he uses technology frequently for work and must adapt as it changes." I totally think need drives use. Even social media fills a need. But while we can't anticipate what career needs students will have in their distant future, we can build the competencies mentioned in ISTE so they have the foundation to adapt - as you say :)
ReplyDelete