Do we really need technology in the classroom?

I feel we must have technology in the classroom.  If we are educating our children for the twenty first century we must incorporate technology into education.  I know my own children and many to most of my students have more technological awareness and understanding than I currently do.  I have not grown up using technology the way today’s youth are using technology.  They use expect from technology things that I would not have thought to expect.  I recently watched a young child tapping on a wall that had the image of a projected computer screen the child expected the image to interact with her.  I would not have thought to try to interact with this projected image.

Our youth are creating using technology.  Why not incorporate this desire to create within their self directed and self paced learning?  The first video talked about sharing your creations with others, a “valid audience.”  In my Innovative Solutions class students are creating products for the various challenges we do in class.  The first marking period I invited parents in to watch student presentations to showcase their creations.  Subsequent marking periods I moved away from formal presentations as I wanted the students to feel their work was more fluid works in progress through the engineering design process instead of a onetime “right or wrong” answer.  I have wondered about having the students save their favorite projects for a showcase of their best work, but I am concerned about the space needed to house all the projects.  Tonight, I am wondering how can I utilize technology to help with this idea?  What if students create a video exploring their solution to our class challenges (projects), post the video for other students and parents to view and leave feedback. 

Sir Ken Robinson has so many thought provoking ideas about creativity or how we squash it.  I had the pleasure of hearing him speak in San Jose at the National Service Learning Conference several years ago.  His comment about, “technology is not considered technology if it happened before you were born” is interesting. 

What does technology make possible to do that we can't otherwise?

One thing that technology has made possible is connecting with anyone you want to connect with.  John Seely Brown’s video was fascinating.  I see how embracing change is very important. Technology helps us make change.  Some people are generally more comfortable with change than others.  Developing a “questing disposition and curiosity” will help our learners develop as thinkers and learners. John used great examples of gaming to explain how people want to be evaluated (score) and how people create challenges and change for themselves.  The influence of digital media on surfing makes me wonder how I can help my students to develop that type of passion to make progress in their learning.  How can I provide a platform for my students to build something new?  Technology also helps us create.

 

What would you say to a teacher that was reluctant to use technology in their practice?

I would guess that a teacher that is reluctant to use technology in their practice is probably not comfortable with change or doesn’t yet have access to or experience with using technology.  If we are in the business of educating for the twenty first century we need to incorporate technology.  Technology needs to be integrated into learning in opportunities for students to practice researching, analyzing, synthesizing, and creating to develop into self directed learners.