My personal philosophy for using educational technology to facilitate student learning

Many jobs today are dependent upon ever-advancing technology. Any respectable adult is expected to know how to fluently text to communicate, effectively utilize email, proficiently browse the web to find needed information, and be able to operate a cellular device. This is a different story compared to 15 years ago. Technology is here to stay, and the individual must embrace it in order to be a competent adult and competitive in the job market.

Considering the technology-rich job market that young people will grow to join, an effective education must equip students with adequate training and experience using modern technology. This is one reason why I believe it is important to use technology to facilitate student learning. Other reasons include:


1. Engagement

Well made technology can increase student engagement. A fun, colorful software program in a game format can keep students glued to their screens while they are refining their math skills.


2. Feedback 

Technology allows students to immediately see whether their answers are on the right track or if they need to correct their understanding. Feedback can be immediate and therefore more effective using technology.


3. Depth of knowledge and discovery

The technology of today allows learning activities that were previously inconceivable. For example, students can graph several functions on the same screen using desmos online scientific calculator. When I was in high school during the 90's, you had to graph your functions on a handheld scientific calculator. The screen was small, pixelated, black and white, and you were limited to a certain number of equations. Now, however, students can easily graph as many functions as they wish. The screen is as large as your computer screen, it is in color, and zooms automatically. My students will have much more opportunity to experiment with their equations than I did at their age.  


4. Accessibility

Students with disabilities may participate in the learning process in ways that may not have been possible without current technology. For example, a student may use speech-to-text software that would allow him to compose an essay despite his inability to type with his hands. 


There are other considerations that must be addressed when bringing technology into the classroom. Three of them are: 


1. Equitable use

Some students come from families that do not have much in the way of technology. Perhaps the family cannot afford computers, internet, or gadets. And yet the children in that family are still expected to know how to navigate our technological society. When schools have sufficient resources to provide tech education to all students, that is facilitating a more equitable education for all young people. 


2. Ethical Use

Every young global citizen ought to know what is acceptable, lawful, and appropriate for tech use. Students need to learn to act courteously while using social media, the importance of keeping private information safe, and how to use seemingly free materials found online. If young people do not learn this in school, they may never learn it. Many of today's parents never had this kind of tech education.


3. Social Responsibility

Digital citizenship is another topic that parents of today may have never learned about in school. Students are taught to "Be internet Smart... Be Internet Alert... Be Internet Strong... Be Internet Kind... (and) Be internet Brave." ( Guevara, 2019) Students not only need to worry about their manners and social skills in person, but they also must manage their manners and social skills of their virtual self! There is a lot of good that a person can do in the world, and there is a lot a person can do in the digital world as well! 


Technology in the classroom is a whole new element to the educational environment that has grown and expanded in the last 2 decades. Using technology in the classroom can be a fantastic enhancement to the learning experience. This website illustrates some of those enhancements. I am sure that as technology continues to advance, the benefits to student learning will continue to improve as well. 


References

Guevara, S. (2019, June). Teaching digital citizenship with Google's be internet awesome program. Computers in Libraries, 39(5), 32–36. Retrieved from https://wgu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=137300221&site=eds-live&scope=site


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