I am not sure where to start about all I have learned from taking this course (EDUC 6710 – Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society). I have developed technology skills that have already begun to influence my professional and personal life. As a “digital native” (a term coined by Mark Prensky, 2001), I have read and written blogs on social networking sites, subscribed to podcasts on iTunes, and used Wikipedia for research. However, in some ways I am still a “digital immigrant” when it comes to my classroom. This course brought technological tools to the forefront on my mind in regards to my students.
Now that I know how to create and integrate blogs, podcasts, and wikis, I am excited about the potential for my students to take more control of their school day by learning through experience as they construct new knowledge (Jonassen et al., 1999, as cited in Keengwe, Onchwari, & Wachira, 2008). Reil and Becker (2000) pointed out, “classrooms that authentically use technology should experience changes in teacher’s roles, learner’s roles, the process of learning, and assessment” (Keengwe et al., 2008). My role will begin to change from the source of all knowledge to “coach”, “collaborator”, “content creator”, “connector” which will lead to change in my classroom, school, and quite possibly my district (Richardson, 2009).
My new focus has been allowing my students to use the technology. Sure, I can stand up at the SMARTboard and click away, but how is that using it to its full potential? As rising middle-schoolers, my fifth graders would benefit greatly from the 21st century skills developed through creation of blogs, podcasts, and wikis: computing, collaborating, creativity, and critical-thinking (Trilling, 2005). I hope to continue to change from ‘doing things differently’ to ‘doing different things’ with technology.
I will expand my use of technology by continuing to integrate more technology opportunities for my students to use, create, present, and share. This will increase student learning because “the true prerequisites for learning [are] engagement and motivation” (Prensky, 2005). My students will be using internet tools to create ongoing projects that they will be able to present to peers, then share their ideas/solutions with the world. I plan to make wikis and blogs a normal part of our vocabulary when beginning a new unit of study. I also want my students to create/manage a webpage that can serve as a communication tool with me, other teachers, each other, their parents, and the community. There is more for me to learn in order to teach and lead with my class toward greater learning.
With all I have learned, there is opportunity to get overwhelmed. However, I believe that if I set a few reasonable goals, the challenge will not seem so daunting. First of all, I am setting a goal of planning for my students to spend at least 4 hours a week on the computer working toward a learning goal. Learning goals can be accomplished, but will not be limited to the following: standards based wikis, discussion blogs, research presentations, homework assignments, etc. They can spend this computer/technology time on a classroom computer, in the school lab, or at home. My second goal is a technology integration practice from the initial course checklist: “design learning experiences that require students to formulate questions for inquiry and engage in real-world problem-solving activities” (Assessment Checklist, 2009). Though I know thousands of webquests exist with just a simple google search, designing inquiry activities is something that will challenge me to become a better content creator, connector, and coach.
This is my last blog post as an assignment for EDUC 6710. The next blog posts you see will include my students. This course has certainly helped me understand the impact of technology on education, society, and work. Technology DOES impact
1) My Education: I am going to receive my master’s degree through an online university.
2) My place in society: I connect with old and new friends through social networking and this blog.
3) My work: I am coaching my students to apply technologies in these three areas of their lives.
Jenelle
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1), 77–92
Prensky, M. (2005). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8–13.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
Trilling, B. (2005). Towards learning societies and the global challenges for learning with ICT. TechForum. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/techlearning/pdf/events/techforum/ny05/Toward_Learning_Societies.pdf
