Change has become an integrally woven thread in our social fabric. The ability to recognize, adapt to, and leverage change is essential to not only surviving in the 21st-century, but thriving as a contributing member of our global economy. Nowhere is change occurring more rapidly than in the field of technology, and no one is demanding technology to be part of their lives as much as our students. Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching states what young learners already know, saying, "Better technology demands that we become critical consumers of its power and capability" (pg. 10). When we do this in the classroom, we find, as Edutopia points out, "[that] when effectively integrated into the curriculum, technology tools can extend learning in powerful ways."
More than being just another fad or a concession to a younger generation, effectively integrating technology into the way that we learn and teach, transferring our focus from content delivery and consumption to collaboration and knowledge construction, is a reflection of current society-wide conditions. Consequentially, access to educational technology and training on how to effectively use it to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create is an essential skill set whose importance is communicated in bodies of educational standards such as ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), P21 21st Century Skills, and ICT Competency Standards for Teachers.
Developing technological literacy, information literacy, and visual literacy is no longer an extracurricular endeavor for those innately interested in these topics. Instead, it is as imperative to learn as text-based literacy and numeracy in the math classroom. As with both of these, technological, information, and visual literacies are to be explored and extended by students to "participate in projects and higher order learning activities that have meaning outside of school." To do this, school districts must have the infrastructure in place to support teachers' training and students' learning of educational technology so that each of us can use technology to transform our teaching and learning in a goal directed environment.
Introducing and infusing educational technology into the curriculum isn't a means to an end serving only the educational process. It is an opportunity for students to develop the skills, critical thinking, and problem solving mindset to interact with a rapidly changing world inside of school and beyond. On one level, educational technology can engage students in meaningful learning. On another level, it can prepare students to enter a competitive technology-oriented work force. Still, on even another level, educational technology in the curriculum can bridge social and economic gaps that were previously beyond repair. With access to tools, software, and information granted by educational technology, it no longer matters where you live or what your primary language is. With access and training to appropriate technology tools, all students have the opportunity to explore, discover, learn, connect, and create, each of which is a behavior that leads to a more engaged and promising way of life.
References:
Edutopia. (n.d.). What is technology integration? Retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-description
Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, A.H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Boston:
Pearson/Allyn and Bacon Publishers.
Technology Integration Matrix. The Technology Integration Matrix. Retrieved from
http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php
I really like your statement about "...transferring our focus from content delivery and consumption to collaboration and knowledge construction...". Technology is an incredibly powerful tool for transforming classrooms into an inquiry setting and the kinds of higher-order thinking associated with knowledge construction are what will truly serve our students once they leave school.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your point that the ability to use technology effectively has become just as important as the traditional "three R's". The one piece I would add is that many people assume, somewhat dangerously, that because our students grow up surrounded by technology, our students know how to use it. Many students, especially those from low socio-economic status (SES) homes, do not have much access to technology outside of school. Of those who do have access, I've found that many lack important digital literacy skills. For both these groups, schools can provide opportunities for students to develop technological literacy.