Growing up in a prehistoric home,
I didn’t
have reliable access to the internet (we had dial-up until I was 18) and I didn’t
have a consistent way to communicate with peers (I bought my first phone when I
was 16 and my plan charged me per text so I used it very sparingly). I think I
was the exception to most millennials. Nearly everyone (now and ten years ago)
has a cell phone and access to the internet is something that is taken for
granted almost everywhere. Connections are made easier through technology and a
whole new learning theory has emerged from this digital revolution. The lack of
connection in my own life was frustrating and limiting. Now that I have a smart
phone with data and Wi-Fi at home, it’s so much easier for me to stay connected.
Without a phone and internet access, I would be about as useful as a potted
plant. The theory of connectivism has emerged recently as a modern expansion of
behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. New information is constantly
available to us and digital tools are resources that can help us organize and
understand information. By utilizing technology, we can connect with the
diversity of opinions that surround us and see connections that are easily
missed through the lens of traditional learning theories.
The state of
Washington released a series of educational technology standards that educators
are expected to implement in their classrooms.
These
standards are fairly new and focus on the role of technology in schools. As
school districts transition to one-to-one learning environments, the need for
technology to be used in an engaging way is more important than ever. I’ve
subbed for quite a few classrooms where students have access to Chromebooks or
iPads, but they aren’t utilized properly. One of the best examples of utilizing
technology in the classroom I’ve seen was at a Spokane school where the
students used Chromebooks to make an interactive presentation of the human skeletal
structure. This project required them to make a visual presentation, include
research and images, and present the information in a creative way. Later in
the year, I subbed for the same teacher and the students were taking a test
online that included video questions. This test is an example of redefinition
in the SAMR model because a video question on a test cannot be replicated
without technology. As I transition to a permanent teaching position, I plan to
be mindful of the educational technology standards and do my best to strive for
redefining traditional aspects of the classroom by integrating technology. I’m
not sure exactly what that will look like but I’m eager to draw from the ideas
of fellow teachers and establish my own strategies. Growing up with the Flintstones made me ambivalent to technology, but now it’s safe to say that I love technology.
Hi, Niehls! I really enjoyed reading your post, both for your awesome reflection and your always-engaging sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking a bit about how using technology to create presentations/products really does provide new, unexpected, and redefining avenues for learning. At first it seemed to me like presentations aren't that exciting--we have been doing them for a long time, right? But then I realized that there are ways that technology can be utilized in presentations that really make a difference. For instance, you talked about how students made an interactive presentation. In doing that, they are thinking differently about how the user will come into contact with their information and engage with it. This goes far beyond creating a few slides with words and pictures. And I think there are lots of ways that traditional presentations can be pushed to fully utilize technology. Once, I created a choose-your-own-adventure in Powerpoint. Presentations could have links to videos or games to engage the audience. They can include technology that can anonymously track poll answers to provide immediate feedback to the teacher and the students. There are lots of creative ways that we can look at traditional presentations and use them to modify or redefine education, even if we've been making presentations for quite some time! Encouraging students to create interactive presentations is certainly a really cool way that we can redefine and modify education for our students in a variety of different subjects and disciplines.
For example, I've attached a link to an interactive exhibit one of my friends made with the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C: https://folklife.si.edu/online-exhibitions/the-medicinal-garden/recipes-and-more/smithsonian. This is an interactive exhibit that includes videos and links and shows the ways that technology can truly modify and redefine traditional presentation structures. Even though this is a website (and students would be creating presentations) these types of interactive elements would redefine their product and learning, too.
I'd be curious to hear what you think, Niehls! Thanks again for the awesome post!