Standard 12: Teaching With Technology
Standard 12 states teacher leaders evaluate and
use technology for teaching and learning.
In this day and age, it is very important teachers have a positive
relationship with technology as it encompasses many aspects of daily life. Similarly, our students have essentially been raised on
technology as well. Teachers must
utilize this highly important learning tool to connect with their students and
provide an array of learning opportunities and experiences. Prior to taking the Teaching with Technology
course, I did not use much technology and actively avoided it. The reason being I felt it was too “clunky”
and I am more efficient with my time not using it. The only technology I would utilize might be
a Google Slides presentation or showing a YouTube video to students. Likewise, I
have disliked most online music teaching tools as the quality of material is
usually quite low. However through this course I now realize the possibilities
when implementing technology. The reality is,
teachers must keep up with the times and the students. Technology and its role
in the classroom and society plays a big role in this current age of
learning. As beautifully stated by
Bransford et. al (2006):
“We live in a highly
mobile, globally connected society in which young Americans will have more jobs
and more careers in their lifetime than their parents. Learning can no longer be confined to the
years we spend in school or the hours we spend in the classroom: It must be
lifelong, lifewide, and available on demand.”
Technology
as transformative tool
When implemented to its
full capacity, technology is a tool in which new learning experiences can be
achieved. New activities or scenarios
not previously attainable can be accessed.
During this course I was exposed to the SAMR model of technology
integration. This model paints a clear
picture at the different levels of integration. As summarized by Romrell,
Kidder, and Wood (N.D), the SAMR Model consists of the following four
classifications of technology used for learning activities: 1) Substitution: The
technology provides a substitute for other learning activities without
functional change. 2) Augmentation: The technology provides a substitute for
other learning activities but with functional improvements. 3) Modification:
The technology allows the learning activity to be redesigned. 4) Redefinition:
The technology allows for the creation of tasks that could not have been done
without the use of the technology. (p. 4)
Romrell et. al states,
“It is at the modification and redefinition levels that learning is
transformed” (p. 7). This, in my opinion
is the ultimate goal. There is a time
and place for technology to simply substitute and augment other learning
activities, however we should always be striving for technology to modify and
redefine what we do. Students these days
have a life filled with technology, most of the times in a mundane or
meaningless fashion (scrolling Instagram and Snapchat etc.). By transforming and redefining the learning,
we are showing our students other impactful ways of using technology. Likewise, at these levels of integration,
technology is highly purposeful, something students might not feel in their
current lives.
Digital citizenship
As Mike Ribble and Teresa Northern
Miller (2013) stated in their article, there are three main components when it
comes to respecting yourself and others on the Internet. These three ideas are digital access, digital
etiquette, and digital law. All of these ideas are highly important as many students, especially in this day and age, spend a majority of their day connected to the internet, however they might not grasp important aspects for protecting themselves. In the article “3 Ways to Weave Digital Citizenship Into Your
Curriculum” by Nicole Kreuger (2014), she mentions the importance of not only
creating projects to share online, but the importance of discussing and
modeling how to interact with ideas on the internet. By having students post something that they
created on the internet and then addressing comments, copyright, and other elements
of the digital world, students gain a new perspective on what it means to share
information, and how to do so ethically and morally.
ISTE 4 might arguably be the most
important standard in the world of technology.
This standard focuses on promoting and modeling ideal behavior on the internet and in the technological world as a whole. Teaching students how to interact with
materials, thoughts, and other individuals on the internet could be one of the
most important lessons. Hopefully we as
teachers can instruct students how to treat each other with respect and
thoughtfulness. Moving forward I will
try to incorporate more discussion and steps to a project that force students
to interact with elements of digital citizenship. I’m not sure that I need to have an entire
project around online behavior, however every project using technology and the internet will carry some element of what it means to be a responsible and
respectful digital citizen.
Future
technology goal
One aspect this course
focused on was teachers finding ways of staying connected through technology
and other online resources. During the
weekly hangouts we discussed how a connected teacher is utilizing a large
handful of resources, all that aid in connecting the teacher to the broader
world of their field or curriculum. As
mentioned in the article "Teaching: Prepare and Connect", the author
states teachers "are connected to their students and to professional content,
resources and systems that empower them to create, manage, and assess engaging
and relevant learning experiences for students both in and out of
school." One of the major downsides
of the Kodaly community, is that the community itself is inherently "old-school". The Kodaly method prides itself on the ability
to be implemented without any resources, tools, or technology. All that is required is the teacher's voice
and a tuning fork. Of the dozens of
Kodaly educators that I've met many stay away from technology and keep things
"simple". The online and digital
Kodaly community is relatively young and under developed. Likewise, the community itself is small.
The most effective tool,
by far, in connecting Kodaly instructors is Facebook. This group has the most teachers engaging in
discourse and sharing resources. No
other resource comes close. As many
other people in our cohort mentioned, Twitter is a valuable tool for
educators. After doing research, Twitter
is not highly utilized in the Kodaly community.
The Twitter account with the most followers only had around 1,200
followers. One of the main accounts
hasn't even tweeted since its conception. Moving forward I will do my best to
utilize technology to stay in the loop and connect with other Kodaly educators. The Kodaly Facebook group is by far the best
resource in staying connected with these educators. Time will tell if the Kodaly community
becomes more engaged with technology, but for now the one and only Facebook
group is the most effective and efficient way of staying connected.
Artifacts:
Digital Citizenship Poster
Sources:
Bransford, J. D., Barron, B., Pea, R., Meltzoff,
A., Kuhl, P., Bell, P., Stevens, R., Schwartz, D., Vye, N., Reeves, B.,
Roschele, J., & Sabelli, N. (2006). Foundations and opportunities for an
interdisciplinary science of learning. Cambridge
Handbook of the Learning Sciences, 19-34. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Edgerly, B. (2013). Teaching: prepare and connect. [Prezi]. Retrieved from
Kidder, L., Romrell, D., Wood, E. (N.D). The SAMR
model as a framework for evaluating mlearning. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1036281.pdf
Kreuger, N. (2014). Three ways to incorporate
digital citizenship into your curriculum.
Retrieved from
Miller, T. Ribble, M. (2013). Educational
leadership in an online world: Connecting students to technology responsibly,
safley, and ethically. Journal of
Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(1).
Retrieved from
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