TECHNOLOGY is more than Computers!

 



We missed the boat! When I first started teaching, in the 1900s, we were told to incorporate technology into our lessons for our professional evaluation. This meant turn on your overhead projector, show a laser disk video on the TV cart, or use the graphics tablet (the one you could hand write on at your desk, it would show up on the projector, and you could print the screen for those who needed paper copies!)

We still missed the boat! Now, to get technology points for our evaluations, students use the 1 to 1 laptops, teachers use LMS systems to send work and use smartboards and wireless projectors. There is no evaluation on how this technology is incorporated into the lessons and learning. 

Technology is so much more than a teacher turning on the projector and students using the  screen for learning (or pretending to learn).

If we look at the infographic below, we clearly need to have more professional development for classroom teachers on the integration of technology. We should not be using it to TEACH content to our students! We should be using it as an enhancement for critical thinking, collaboration with others outside the building as well as inside, real world problem solving, learning processes, and so much more. 
 https://www.sadlier.com/school/ela-blog/3-elements-of-a-literacy-rich-classroom-environment


We need to be engaging our students with more authentic problem based learning. They can find answers to the content online but we need to push them to apply the content. It is easy to pull up a video on the Civil War and assess them on dates and reasons, but have they debated the perspectives of the people to fully feel the trails and tribulations of those involved? Have they thought outside the box to come up with a solution to the war that was not proposed? 

 "Students are not interested in replacing human contact with online content." (1)

                          

1. Oblinger, D., & Hawkins, B. (2006, December 1). The myth about no significant difference. EDUCAUSE. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2006/12/the-myth-about-no-significant-difference


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