Technology to Support Learning: 11.12.09

While many think of technology as a recent development - a post-1950s creation that is heavily computer-oriented - the reality is that technology and the human history of technology usage is much longer and more complex.  Technology, as defined by Merriam Webster, is "a manner of accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge".  For the purpose of education, educational technology is the way in which we accomplish the task of teaching and learning using those technical processes, methods, or knowledge.  According to the presentation, Educational technology is "the entirety of ideas, methods, and devices used in the process of human learning."  From slide shows to SMART boards, each methodology involving an innovation, tools, and/or a craft counts as educational technology.  While there exists a plethora of these innovations and mechanisms to promote technology in education, there are three main characteristics that must run through any decision and implementation of technology in the classroom.  Our technologies must be mindful, accessible, and most of all, they must enhance the learning process beyond the scope of traditional teaching methods.

The mindful implementation of technology is also key to the usefulness of that technology in the classroom.  The presentation materials pointed out that Reigeluth (1983) argued that good design is a plan for the most effective way to realize some desired outcome.  When planning to use technology in the classroom, teachers must ask "What am I trying to achieve here?"  They must use technology just for the sake of its use, but for the ability to bring something to the table that traditional methods cannot.  Technologies must engage students and give them the ability not only to absorb the lesson, but to create or participate in a way that helps to solidify the lesson at hand in their own heads.  Technology can also have the ability to bridge the learning experiences between learners of different levels, and the avenues for special education and enhanced gifted education are also available using technology.  For students who need extra stimulation or extra help, technology can bet the medium through which they get what they need through a variety of visual, audio, and textual methods.

In the realm of accessibility, when looking at technology, educators must ensure that technology is accessible to all of their students both conceptually and logistically. When going through the design phase of a curriculum, implementing teachers must give thought to the appropriateness or learning curve for the technology.  For a non-art class, Photoshop might be too technically advanced a program for students to turn over a project in a week.  Educators must be aware of the ability for students of different levels of technological savvy to use the software or hardware at hand.  Another issue of accessibility is cost.  Educators must take into account that not all students have computers at home, despite the seeming proliferation of computers and mobile devices.  There is still disparity in socioeconomically underserved areas, and an assumption that students can easily get to a computer or the internet could be false.

Finally, the technology should enhance, rather than replace, the lessons in the classroom as well as give students the ability to actively participate in learning.  Technology can allow students access to experiences that they might not normally be able to have in the classroom or even in life.  For example, my focus and interest lies in international affairs/social studies.  To give students a real world view of the topic, there needs to be more than the by-the-book, traditional education to bring home the weight of the lessons.  History, in particular, is a difficult subject to get students engaged if using only book and memorization methods.  However, if one can find a way to use visual, engaging, and participatory lessons, students can really find the spark and excitement of history education.  Award-winning teacher and podcaster Eric Langhorst gives us a perfect example of an innovative technological approach to history.  Through his blog and podcasts, Langhorst has found ways to bring the lessons of history alive to his students.  Take for example the Battle of Gettysburg.  Most of those students would not have the ability to travel from Missouri to Pennsylvania in order to walk the battlefield.  But Langhorst podcasted and photojournaled his own trip for his students to experience vicariously.  He has done these sorts of podcasts for all of his family trips and conferences, giving students experiences they might not otherwise have and bringing history a little bit more to life for them.

Technology has many applications in the classroom, and by following these three guiding principles, one can ensure its proper and effective use.  Technology is also a contentious topic, as some kick against the seeming progress of technology and its implementation in the classroom.  For these people, do not cry "Luddite!" and judge.  Technology has its place in the classroom, but it must have a purpose in order to enhance the learning experience for students.  Through careful planning and thoughtful implementation, educators can curb the fears of those less willing to embrace technology and help better the learning experience for all students.