Technology Use in the Classroom

“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet” (Johnson, 2011, pg. 13).  Today’s world and society are incorporating technology, the use of digital tools and media, and so is education. It use to be that having computer access in school was cutting-edge, however the use of digital tools and media has exploded through the use of cell phones, interactive whiteboards, and many other technology and digital tools. Today’s students are heavily engaged in the use of digital tools outside of the classroom and are quickly becoming disconnected from education because some teachers, schools, and districts have not kept the learning inside the classroom as meaningful as it has become outside of the classroom. Outside of school students are able to interact with information through the Internet, social networking tools, etc.  In order to reverse this learning cycle, I feel it is essential to use digital tools and digital media in the classroom.  By doing this, students will become more engaged in class, and will feel more connected to the “real-world.”

Using digital tools and digital media in the classroom is essential because it encourages student creativity. For example, “it encourages students to work in groups, express their knowledge in multiple ways, solve problems, revise their own work, and construct knowledge” (Ivers & Barron, 2010, pg. 3).  “Our students will increasingly need to rely on the skill of creation when they enter college or the workforce. In the near future, admission into college and finding a quality job will more likely be about the types of things you can create online and less about an SAT score or grade-point average” (Johnson, 2011, pg. 14).  Digital tools and digital media are endless in combinations including text, graphics, animations, pictures, videos, and sound. Students also learn the value of teamwork, the importance of research, and the significance of presentation and speaking skills by using digital tools and digital media.  I thought it was also interesting when Johnson (2011) recommended that teachers don’t tell their students what a new piece of technology or e-tool does.  Instead, hand it over to them and let them look at it and have them tell the class what it does.  Again, I think this is a way to incorporate digital tools in your classroom in a creative manner that students are learning from and are engaged in.

More importantly, I think it is important to use digital tools and media in the classroom because we can teach and model media appropriateness and validity, and copyright laws.  I really do not think that digital citizenship is being taught or monitored closely outside of schools by parents and guardians.  I think this is a great opportunity for the schools to step up and teach students how to effectively use digital tools and media.  “Far too many students don’t pay attention to the products they leave behind on the Internet – nor do they realize that this record will follow them long past school. Yet, a digital footprint – the trail of postings and products that we leave behind when we access the Internet – can make or break a student’s future” (Johnson, 2011, pg. 15). Once more, using digital tools and media in the classroom is essential when you consider the learning and teaching that can occur in regards to digital citizenship.

The only concern about teaching media appropriateness, validity, and copyright laws is the issue of time in our classroom.  Teaching these important skills takes time and training for those teachers that don’t have the skills and knowledge base to help teach and model these to their students.  I truly think this is a challenge that we need to face and not run away from though.  Technology is here to stay, but as Ivers and Barron (2010) state, “Technology should be used as a tool, not as an end in itself” (Ivers & Barron, 2010, pg. 26).

With the changing dynamics of the world, workforce, and education itself, I think using digital tools and media helps to reinforce students’ technology skills and to prepare them for the demands of future careers.  “Researchers and leading organizations note that technology must be used to empower students and to create a 21^st-century learning environment in which students learn core subjects, 21^st-century themes such as global awareness, financial, economic, business, entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, and health literacy” (Ivers & Barron, 2010, pg. 4). We have to take careful steps when jumping all in with digital tools and media though.  Our students can find anything and everything on the internet, but do they know what to do with it?  “Can they evaluate the accuracy of what they read? Can they analyze and organize this glut of information? How does it improve their lives?” (Johnson, 2011, pg. 4).

I strongly believe another way in which digital tools and media are important in the classroom is the ability to allow content in several formats that will allow students to use their own individual learning styles.  “The better you know your “customer,” the better you can serve them” (Johnson, 2010, pg. 3).  “Although multimedia applications can effectively teach content, student-based multimedia projects allow students to gain skills beyond content-area knowledge” (Ivers & Barron, 2010, pg. 6).  Again, I strongly believe this is an essential piece, because as much as I would like to only teach my kids about social studies, it is important for them to become strongly students all-around! I would like to wrap up my thoughts with a very short, but meaningful quote from the text that I thought was a good ending piece, “Ignoring a tool that could be the key to unlocking a child’s potential should not be an option” (Johnson, 2010, pg. ix).

 

References:

 

Ivers, K. S., Barron, A. E. (2010). Multimedia Projects in Education. Santa Barbara, CA:

            Libraries Unlimited.

 

Johnson, S. (2011). Digital Tools for Teaching. Gainesville, FL: Maupin House.