My Quest For Best Practices in Educational Technology

983 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Using technology and its effect to education

The year I began teaching, I didn’t have a computer hooked up to the Internet. This was only eleven years ago. As I have adapted to the rapid changes in technology access that have occurred for myself and for my students, I have looked for fundamental principles to guide my teaching practice. Resources such as the Framework for 21st Century Learning (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007), the International Society for Technology in Education National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers and Students (ISTE NETS, 2008), and Edutopia (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2010) have been invaluable guides in my quest for best practices in educational technology.

The final magnitude of the Internet explosion is still unknown. In the beginning, I was happy to see students using the Internet to conduct research and take hand written notes. Then, I created my own web site and students could access preferred links. Now, students use Web 2.0 tools to interact and publish content for academic and personal purposes. Web 3.0 tools now create semantic maps that interpret and anticipate our queries based on our history of use (Strickland, 2008). Understanding digital citizenship and the ethical, legal, social, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools is now critically important.

In my classroom, I model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use. Before beginning a technology-infused learning experience such as writing a documentary, participating in a collaborative wiki, or entering a podcast competition, I teach students the necessary elements of digital citizenship by providing them with information and resources, and by modeling. The principles of digital citizensh...

... middle of paper ...

...inistration. My role as a building technology contact (BTC) gives me the privilege of receiving current information to share with my school’s staff and technology committee. Recently, I participated in the decision making process that will result in implementing strategies to promote equitable access to technology resources for students and teachers. As the BTC, I recommended our school invest our new budget in the purchase of laptops. Laptops will give all students and teachers more equitable access as they are shared among classrooms. I will also facilitate the management of our laptops and train teachers on best-practice for their use. I look forward to this challenge. Having access to more laptops will motivate many teachers and students to learn about the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology. The training is mandatory.

Show More
Related

  • Best Practices of Using Technology in the Classroom

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    “With some research, creativity, and professional development, any school can stop talking about becoming a 21st Century school and confidently become a 21st Century School (Byrne, 2009).” Technology is becoming more and more embedded into classroom instruction. Some of these technologies include using Web 2.0 application, project-based learning (PBL), and using classroom response systems, otherwise known as clickers, in the classroom. These technologies offer some of the latest and best practices in using technology effectively to engage students’ within learning environments.

    Read More

  • Use of Technology in the Classroom: Potentials and Pitfalls

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the last decade, increasingly powerful technologies have begun to make their way into classrooms across the nation. Many classrooms are now equipped with personal computers that run educational software to help teach students facts and concepts in a more engaging way than a traditional lecture. Advances in telecommunications technologies have led to almost universal access to the Internet, allowing students and teachers to communicate with people from around the world and gain access to a wealth of educational materials. New ways of obtaining and presenting information have given students powerful new methods for understanding the world around them. However, while use of technology in the classroom has been shown to be highly beneficial for students, it is important to note that without a well-planned technology support system, this expensive educational technology often goes under- or mis-utilized..

    Read More

  • Alia Wong's Essay On Technology And Education

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    Loewy says that the restrictions that kids are getting from the older community about what social media is hindering them from learning how to use digital technology proficiently. He also says that even though it is important to keeps kids safe online that these focuses give kids “a distorted view of the digital world.” Loewy also says that “It is a view that reflects the fears adults rather that the aspirations of youth.” A question that can be answered in this article also can be “How much of a digital age community are we becoming?”. This article gives consistent points and examples of how we are steadily becoming more and more technologically innovated in all aspects of our lives from the classroom to the the work room. Some examples this article provided were that classrooms now a days had iPads assigned to students, ebooks, laptops

    Read More

  • Research Plan: Does Autocorrect Technology Help Us Learn?

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the widespread use of digital technology, the classroom teaching approaches and practices went through remarkable changes. When compared to the past ten years, today the classrooms look entirely different in terms of programs and technical tools used to enhance the learning skills of students.

    Read More

  • 21st Century Classrooms - Annotated Bibliography

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    This article discusses the use of the Internet in the classroom and how it can be used to personalize education. The effectiveness of the Internet in the classroom is evaluated at the Henry Hudson Regional School in Highlands, New Jersey. A faculty member at the school explains that the Internet was introduced to their classrooms to expand limited electives, advanced placement, and foreign language offerings. The use of the Internet allows small schools to provide an education that would not be economically possible without it.

    Read More

  • Copyright Law

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    As educators, a partial grasp or half-hearted embrace of copyright and fair use laws is not enough. Now is the time to teach students how to creatively yet legally take advantage of the plethora of resources at their fingertips through the Internet. Web 2.0 tools are becoming increasingly popular in post-secondary education, and this generation of students is likely to “produce a significant amount of content” over the course of their educational career (Diaz, 2010, p61). These students must know what rights they have to this content they have created, as well as be confident that all the resources they have incorporated along the way have been incorporated ethically.

    Read More

  • Benefits of Technology in the Classroom

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    Do you ever think about how much technology has changed the way we work, learn, play, and even think? Technology is a major beneficiary to society; especially in the classroom where we get the opportunity to learn and grow. In recent years, schools have begun implementing tablets and other devices in the classroom to better student’s education. The use of technology in the classroom provides more of a personalized learning experience and gives students a widespread availability to engage in learning. Technology is necessary in today’s modern globe, it is basically “the pen and paper of our time and the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Warlick, 2013). Technology is not just considered the “internet”, it is so much greater than that. Overall, it enhances the quality of education and engages students deeper than ever before. With all the significant gains, why would people argue that technology hinders students more than it helps? Critics may try to repute the use of technology in the classroom but I believe what really matters “is the way we use it, the context that we use it in, and the learners who we use it for” (Chong, 2012).

    Read More

  • Technology Is Changing Education

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    Technology is Changing Education The best method for improving educational standards is to utilize every tool available, including state-of-the-art technology. Computers and the Internet have expanded the way in which education can be delivered to the students of today. Today's networking technologies provide a valuable opportunity to the practice of learning techniques. Educators are discovering that computers and multi-based educational tools are facilitating learning and enhancing social interaction. Computer based telecommunications can offer enormous instructional opportunities, but educators will need to adapt current lesson plan to incorporate this new medium into all the classrooms.

    Read More

  • The Impact of Internet on Education

    1889 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Impact of the Internet on Education A dusty, one-bedroom schoolhouse on the edge of a village. An overworked teacher trying to manage a room full of boisterous children. Students sharing schoolbooks that are in perpetual short supply, crammed in rows of battered desks. Children worn out after long treks to school, stomachs rumbling with hunger.

    Read More

  • Technology in Education

    1681 Words  | 4 Pages

    Technology, as we all know, is helping and improving many disciplines of life. Technology, in Britannica Encyclopedia, is defined as the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life. (Britannica, 2009)

    Read More

  • The Importance of Technology to 21st Century Learners

    896 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout history technology has been the driving force of change. From movable type, to television, to the Internet, technology has been embraced and incorporated into our daily lives. Within the constructs of civilized society, the vast rewards of technological innovations have far outweighed the negatives. The digital revolution has altered conceptions of time and distance. It has created a wealth of information that is available at the stroke of a key. Not since the invention of the printing press has the distribution and consumption of information been so democratized. The rapidly changing technological landscape has put students and teachers in the cross-hairs. Can students be positively impacted by this digital revolution? Has the wave of technology that has swept through in recent years improved teaching and learning in the classroom? Utilizing various research tools such as Boise State University's Albertsons Library database, Google Scholar, and other online tools to access peer-reviewed journals, this paper will demonstrate that technology in the classroom results in increased student performance. great intro, Evan. -Barbara Schroeder 5/6/10 7:51 AM

    Read More

  • Importance Of Digital Literacy

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Students do things like write papers, access test and quizzes, and even visit their teacher’s web page where they find information needed for the course. This may seem easy to students who have always had internet in their home with a computer they can work on, but what about the students who have no idea what the internet is, or don’t own a computer or device they can to practice on. This is one of the key reason digital literacy is important. Students no matter the age or background should feel comfortable using the internet at school. They should always feel caught up in classes because if they don’t know how to it will be taught to them. Schools should make sure students are up to speed and no child is left

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Digital Media

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine someone born in the early 1900’s entering a modern-day classroom. They would likely be confused as to what televisions, computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices are. It is also likely that they would be overwhelmed by the instant access to information that the internet provides. Digital media has become a large part of people’s everyday lives especially with the rise of digital media in classrooms. Digital media is growing so rapidly that people who are not adapting to this shift in culture are falling behind and becoming victims of the “digital divide”, this is leaving people misinformed. Digital media has a large effect on the way that people communicate, this is especially evident in the way that students interact with

    Read More

  • Use of Technology in Education

    966 Words  | 2 Pages

    Modern technology has made it so much easier to obtain educational information for classroom or homework assignments. It offers educational games that stimulate the brain and help children who have difficulties focusing on traditional teaching and learning procedures. College students are even taking advantage of online courses that many colleges are offering as an alternative to physically attending classes. Advances in technology and computers will continue to play an important role in education for many generations to come.

    Read More

  • Introduction of Technology into Education

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    The introduction of technology into education has revolutionized the teaching quality and learning outcome in the last ten years. The integration of technology into lectures by teachers in classroom has become so natural that both teachers and learners consider computers and their related applications for instruction are “a routine component of the classroom and educational processes in general” (Nuldén, 1999 cited in Buzzard et al., 2011, pp.131-139).

    Read More

More about My Quest For Best Practices in Educational Technology

Open Document