Technology with Purpose
The Internet gives EVERYONE a voice, from trolls on Twitter, to businesses trying to advertise their products and services, to teachers trying to find their platform and share their thoughts. Across the web, there are numerous publications related to education. Some of these are more formal with advanced language and a multitude of references, while others are more light-hearted and written by teachers, for teachers. I have read several articles online lately that resonated with me as an educational professional.
1. Embracing a Task Before Apps Mindset (Burns, 2018) from ASCD – Put the goal before the technology.
2. Research-Based Tech Integration Strategies (Kolb, 2018) on Edutopia – There is still a place for social learning in the digital age.
3. Make Your Life Easier: How to Collect Data Using Google Forms (Sayner, 2018) on We Are Teachers – Google Forms can make data collection effective and efficient, and this article give step-by-step directions on how to use it.
These online publications have transformed the process of sharing written word like Gutenberg’s printing press did in its time. Not only does the Internet allow for teachers to publish online, but it also allows for data storage and digital collaboration. Google has revolutionized both storage and collaboration. With my Google account, I can share and organize all of my work in one place. I can collaborate with others on the same document regardless of physical location. My students can do the same with their Google accounts, collaborating on a Google Slide as a class or participating in a Google Hangout with a class from across the country. Being able to work digitally is more efficient and effective for many tasks, transforming teaching and learning.
On the other hand, as much as I enjoy educational technology and advocate for its use, I want other teachers to know that technology is not always the best tool to teach students. There is a time and place for it, and it must be purposeful to be effective. For this reason, I will be writing an article on the negative side of the SAMR framework, focusing on how teachers get so caught up in using technology to reach the redefinition stage of the framework that they forget using the tool is not the main goal. I want to inspire teachers to worry less about reaching a certain level of the framework and more about the end goal of student learning.
I’ll leave you with two thinking questions that I am passionate about. How can we continue to use technology for student learning? How can we utilize the tools of the 21st century to succeed in the 21st century?
References
Burns, M. (2018). Embracing a "task before apps" mindset. Education Update, 60(9). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/sept18/vol60/num09/Embracing-a-£Tasks-Before-Apps£-Mindset.aspx
Kolb, L. (2018, September 28). Research-based tech integration strategies. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-based-tech-integration-strategies
Sayner, S. (2018, September 25). Make your life easier: How to collect data using Google Forms. Retrieved from https://www.weareteachers.com/google-forms-for-the-classroom/
