Sunday, July 27, 2014

How do public policies impact the use of technology? How are these policies impacting students and teachers?



Just like any tool, there is a right and wrong way to use it. The use of technology in the classroom has so many benefits. A classroom can be transformed by using it effectively. There are certain policies that are put in place to help protect students and sometimes impact how the technology is used.


In our schools there seems to be a shortage of technology, we always need more. Our students live in a digital world where they need to prepare themselves for life after school. They need to acquire the necessary skills in school to help them when they prepare for a career. Due to inappropriate uses of technology, policies are in place to protect our students. Access to the internet is restricted and student identities need to remain anonymous. This can cause some problems when using technology, but luckily most problems can be overcome with a little planning.


I think that in regards to the use of technology in the classroom, there are some barriers. Policies are there to protect students. With careful planning, any restriction can be overcome and other avenues to use the technology can be used. As educators, I think it is very important to know what policies are in place to protect teachers and students. It is very easy to infringe on copyright laws and do something that may be not be ethical or legal. As more and more technology develops, we need to be aware of the appropriate way to use the technology.


A good example is Facebook. What a great tool to communicate with others. You could use it for homework reminders or communication to help students with homework questions. Unfortunately, this tool could also be used in inappropriate ways. Does this mean we cannot communicate with our students? No, there are other ways we can do it that are anonymous and appropriate. As teachers, we need to find ways to use the technology to benefit our students.

Impact of technology on learning, and how do we choose?

What is the impact of technology on learning? In the class session about this topic we talked about the impacts of technology and choosing appropriate technology for the task.

I think technology impacts learning greatly. As we discussed higher order thinking skills (HOTS), I could see the importance of integrating technology in my pedagogy.  Technology allows us to transform assignments in a way we never could before. Students have the opportunity to create original works as a way to express themselves. They can collaborate with others and learn those vital social skills while they help others. Technology allows us to research more quickly allowing us to evaluate what we are learning. One important aspect of technology is it allows us to develop critical thinking skills and make informed decisions on whatever we are doing. Technology teaches us social norms, it helps us demonstrate and prepare ourselves for "lifelong learning". As we develop skills and a foundation in the use of technology, we can use that knowledge and transfer it to other technologies.

As teachers, we need to be careful and what technology we use in class and how we use it. Integrating technology in class for the sake of using it, is not the best way to learn. Careful lesson planning can ensure that we are not just substituting the technology in our teaching, but transforming the content where students can develop higher order thinking skills. 

Identity

One of the definitions of identity is, "a sense of self". Do we know who we are? Do our students? 

The digital age has brought forth a new way to learn. We now have access to countless amounts of information. Research that was done in weeks can now be completed in hours. Technology has brought with it, the ability to discover ourselves in a unique way. 


As we talked about the Identity project in class, I thought of the need for each one of my students to discover or re-discover who they are. Each student in our class is unique and has something to offer. I think my job as a teacher is to let that person shine and let each individual in my class know just that; that they are an individual, unique and important. Technology has now granted us the ability to travel to other lands with a click of the button. We can research where are ancestors come from and what life was like hundreds of years ago. Technology can help us express ourselves and show people who we are. What do we stand for? What are our beliefs? What are all the different things that come together to make me, me?


I feel like we need to make sure that everyone we are entrusted to teach feel that sense of identity. They are not just another number in our classroom. Utilizing technology, we can expose them to various different ideas and topics without having to leave the classroom. We can help them develop that sense of self, and figure out what makes each individual unique in our class.