Vision Statement
The use of technology in education is necessary in today’s society. A primary purpose of education is to equip people to succeed, interact, and transform the world in which we live. Technology is rapidly changing, and rapidly changing the world. Educational institutions around the world have a wonderful opportunity to embrace technology in order to equip people to be a part of this change. If we are not preparing people with technology skills within education, than we are failing as educators.
Three major justifications for the use of technology in education are: higher-order thinking skills, improving educational instruction, and empowering students. These three areas will highlight the significant and positive impact technology can have on students, schools, and communities when technology is embraced in the classroom and used in effective ways.
Higher-Order Thinking Skills
When students are engaged, hands-on, collaborating, providing feedback, and problem-solving, they are using different areas of their brain and higher-order thinking. Providing these learning opportunities to students in education prepares them for life outside of the classroom. This offers students with a learning environment to safely practice and develop technological skills. Good instruction is good instruction, and there were and still are educators who can design good instruction without technology. But, educators need to translate and transform educational instruction to simulate real-life situations; and technology is the society in which we live today.
If the classroom doesn’t parallel major aspects of a student’s life outside of school, such as technology, than there is a disconnect between education (learning) and what they want to know or need to know (society). Infusing education with technology will bridge that gap and make the connection. Students will be able to see the value of what they are learning in the classroom. Technology in the classroom has the ability to generate higher-order thinking and make a real-life connection with the students. This can all be accomplished with a willingness and support from the teachers, the local community, and society as a whole.
Improving Educational Instruction
The use of technology to gather data is increasing constantly. The power of data to enhance educational instruction is immense. There are two areas in which data can be used: for individual classrooms and schools and for national and global collaboration. For many the use of technology in the classroom is the key to having data to analyze. For example, if students take a quiz online, or with networked software, the instructor instantly has a snapshot of the class. How the data is analyzed is important, but is not the main point to be addressed right now. The point is that how quick and dynamic tools to assess student needs. The White House and the Department of Education understand the power of data sharing at a larger level and created Data.gov to share information from the government. When used properly, data is a formidable tool in improving educational instruction.
Another way in which technology can improve educational instruction is through educators sharing information; sharing such information as what technologies they use, what subject, how the technology is used, lesson plans, simulations, etc. is a valuable way to improve instruction. In education we are pushing students to use technology and collaborate, which is exactly what educators are doing to improve quality education. Technology in the classroom isn’t all about students learning and improving, but teachers as well.
Empowering Students
In 2010, Alan November’s book Empowering Students with Technology was published. The book covers different aspects of technology and how they can be used in the classroom. It has some valuable applications, but the theme of empowering students isn’t new. Yet, the use of modern technology to do so is a relatively newer concept. The use of technology can allow for easier personalized instruction for students that need alternative assessment; technology can inspire some students to believe that learning is fun or that they can succeed; technology can provide opportunities and access to students who traditionally wouldn’t have; and technology can be used in every classroom to provide the best possible education for students. Technology is not the cure to all educational needs. Great educational experiences in the classroom will always simply need people dedicated to providing the best instruction possible to students for any given subject. But, technology today is giving educators the potential to reach more students and with powerful results.
The ultimate goal of an educator is for a student to take control of their learning. To watch students take ownership of their education means that the student is confident that they can learn and succeed; that their life is all about being educated because they truly understand that knowledge is powerful. With the increase use of technology in educational institutions hopefully we will see an increase in empowered students. I’m not sure if that is a measurable item, but we now have, more than ever before, the technology to allow all students the opportunity to learn, be challenged, and access to quality instruction.
Resources:
Education Data.gov Communities. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.data.gov/education
Edutopia (n.d.). Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction
November, Alan. C. (2009). Empowering students with technology. (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Technology Integration Matrix. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2012, from http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php
U.S. Department of Education. (2010) National Education Technology Plan 2010 Executive Summary. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010
Stephen Bretz: EDTECH Learning Log 