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 I can’t help but joke around and think by the time I purchase the “new” iphone, it’s already outdated with the “newer” version.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 Jose Esteves, “half of what students learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study” (2016).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