Assignment 3: What is educational technology and what can it do for our classrooms?

What is educational technology and what can it do for our classrooms?

By: Eliana Glassman

1) What is educational technology?

Educational technology is technology used in education to enhance the lesson and learning of the students. Educational technology is used in conjunction with classroom content to allow students and teachers to dive into topics in a 21st-century way.

2) How is it currently being used? Is it being used effectively?

Educational technology is currently being used in classrooms very effectively. Teachers are using technology to allow students to be creative with their learning as well as dive deeper into topics that they are learning about. Dave Doucette discusses ways to use technology in the classroom to enhance learning in his article titled Meeting the Education Demands of Generation Z.

3) Who is using technology?

Technology is being used all throughout school districts. Students are using technology in the classroom and at home for assignments. Teachers are using technology to teah as well as to create resources and lesson plans. Administrators and supervisors are using technology for communication and to complete documents needed for their role.

Parents and families are also using technology to check-in on their students grades and to stay up-to-date with communication from the district.

Not only is using educational technology a trend in our area, but this is a global trend.

Google for Education has an article providing data on the global uses of emerging technologies.

4) Why should we be investing in technology?

We should be investing technology because it is what will best prepare our students for the future. Technology isn’t going to go away. Therefore, it is important for us to embrace this trend. Students should be exposed to technology so that they are knowledgeable of it’s benefits and are able to be express themselves with it’s widerange of capabilities.

5) Benefits for Students? Benefits for Teachers?

Technology is beneficial for students because it allows students to be more engaged in their learning and to express themselves. Technology is engaging because it allows students access to all of the digital recourses approved by the district. Students can also express themselves with technology because there are so many applications and platforms that students can use to complete a common assignment.

Technology is beneficial for teachers because it allows teachers to create digital lesson plans. This is great for teachers because they can easy look back on this year after year.

Another benefit to teachers is that educational technology can show teachers different data than they would see with a paper test. For example, my district uses i-Ready which shows teachers areas of gaps that students need to work on as well as next-steps to help students learn those skills. This data allows teachers to embrace “Personal

Learning” which Peter Smith discusses in his article Personal Learning: Charting Its Past, Present, and – Most Importantly, Its Future.

6) Where is it going?

We never know exactly where technology will take us next. I am constantly impressed and surprised with the new things I am able to do with technology. All we know for certain is that technology isn’t going anywhere. The article EdTech 2020: 5 classroom technology trends to watch discusses what we should look out for in the technology world in the future.

7) Indicate examples of technologies we should be using?

There are so many technologies that we should be using in the classroom. Here are three that come to mind when I think of this topic.

One technology that we should be using is Chromebooks in the classroom. This has been a game-changer for teachers. There are so many things that students can do with technology to aide their learning. Even if Chromebooks are not available, it is so beneficial to have 1-to-1 technology in the classroom. There are even districts that have implemented BYOD policies. This article lists 10 districts that have done that successfully and how their district has done it.

Another technology that we should be using in Smart Boards in the classroom. Teachers can project presentations or material. They can write and model strategies for students.

Smart Boards can also be used as whiteboards in classrooms that don’t have one.

A third technology that we should be using is virtual reality. Virtual reality is such a great tool to enhance learning in the classroom. There are so many things that virtual reality to bring to the classroom. Some examples are that it can allow students to visit countries that they are researching, complete virtual science experiments, and see certain times in history.

8) Reflections/Recommendations Technology is changing the way that we teach. It’s benefits allow students to complete assignments, learn content, and express themselves in ways that haven’t been seen in the classroom prior to this 21st-centruy trend. Students, teachers, administrators, supervisors, and parents all benefit from the use of technology. Technology is always evolving and it is hard to say where it will take us next. The best thing that we can do as educators is to stay up-to-date on trends and to embrace those trends in our classrooms.