Educational Technology
In
today’s world, we see more technology than ever before. Anyone can be found
with a smart phone in their hand (even third graders). It seems as if there is
always a superior version of a piece of technology being released. The amount of times I’ve been asked if I was getting the “new” iphone is more than I can keep track. I
can’t help but joke around and think by the time I purchase the “new” iphone, it’s
already outdated with the “newer” version. However, in reality this is the rapid
growing pace technology has reached.
Currently
being a third grade teacher, I always hear the phrase “preparing students for a
future that doesn’t exist” tossed around. The first time I heard this I asked
myself, “what does that even mean?” Now with the thought of technology in mind
it all makes sense. According to Dr. Jose Esteves, “half of what students learn
in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study”
(2016). What does this say about education and technology? How are we as
educators going to ensure we provide the most useful technology experiences for
students that will benefit them in their future career? How will educators stay
up-to-date with the most recent technologies?
The
first step as educators is that we make the initiative to have a positive view
on technology. Often times I hear some say “we can’t keep up with technology.”
Some teachers are even afraid to dive in because they fear they may experience
laterigrade. Education is centered around the willingness to learn and try new
things, so why is this feeling towards technology different? I believe it’s
important that we embrace technology and demonstrate for our students the
impact it can have on our lives.
What
is the next step? Teacher of the Year, Jahana Hayes, expresses that in order to
keep up with technology, schools should partner up with larger industries who
have the resources available. Frequently we see 1-3 teachers attend a training
on technology, who are then responsible for training other teachers. In reality
is this fair? I also believe partnering up with large technology industries
could assist with the “technology gap.” I am sure there would be a line of
teachers standing behind me in agreeance that schools do not have the resources
we need to keep up with today’s technology.
References
Esteves,
J. (2016, January 18). Did you know 2016. Retreived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqZiIO0YI7Y
Madda,
M. (2016, August 2). “We don’t have resources to keep up with technology”: 2016
teacher of the year jahana hayes talks to edsurge. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-02-we-don-t-have-resources-to-keep-up-with-technology-2016-teacher-of-the-year-jahana-hayes-talks-to-edsurge
I found myself nodding my head "yes" as I was reading your post. You truly bring up a great point, how are we as educators supposed to prepare kids for the world of tomorrow if in a blink of an eye the world is different? I liked the quote from Dr. Jose Esteves, it really resonated with me when I read it.It truly puts into perspective of how fast technology is changing. In a way, the quick change of technology is discouraging to so many educators. There are those who do not even want to try to learn and those who attempt to figure out evolving technology and get too overwhelmed in the process.
ReplyDeleteI love the solution you mentioned about having schools team up with companies that have the resources available to help teachers. I have found myself in many of a meeting where someone has been sent to teach our faculty and staff about a new addition to a computer program. Yet, the issue usually is we do not know how to use the original program CORRECTLY. I would love to see in the future, community members teaming up with schools to prepare our teachers for the ever changing demands of educational technology.
-Nicole Epstein
Hi Nicole,
DeleteEven though I’m one of the younger generations, I find myself having a difficult time trying to stay up-to-date with technology as well. It can be very intimidating trying to figure out new technologies. I’m not going to lie, I was extremely afraid when I first created my Blogger account. I had to push myself through and make a few mistakes to figure out the program. As educators, we should be teaching our students that it’s okay to make mistakes. Our school has received so much technology this year that we don’t even know what to do with it (literally). However, how great would it be to have a company that is responsible for keeping teachers updated with the latest technology?
Bianca Esquivel
Hi Bianca,
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about the pace of technology continuing to accelerate with each passing year! I marvel at the constant releasing of new versions of phones, tablets, laptops, and even software updates. I find it so mind-boggling that while our society is drenched in updated technology needs, our schools continue to fall further and further behind this trend. You brought up the point about schools' lack of available resources, and maybe Jahana Hayes' idea about partnering with larger tech companies would word to better provide the means to keep up with updated technology. I do think that students will benefit from some technology as opposed to no technology. Even if it is wildly outdated, I think students can apply strategies and knowledge about outdated technology to their future endeavors. I'm a millennial myself, and I know that I started using technology back when we had to dial up to the internet and it took an hour to navigate anywhere online. Now I can work my way through new technology with ease because I have foundational computer skills that can be applied to new technologies. :)
Thank you for commenting Mary. I love this statement you made: "Even if it is wildly outdated, I think students can apply strategies and knowledge about outdated technology to their future endeavors." That is a very valid point that I did not think about. Although technology is constantly changing, we have the foundational skills to help us navigate newer technology (even if it takes a little trial and error).
DeleteBianca
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