PSO 1: Demonstrate advanced understanding of the trends, issues, and research associated with education in general and with their respective specialization.
Relevance
For EDU 501 (Leadership, Worldview, and Contemporary Issues), I elected to write my final paper on the issue of technology integration in education. This is indeed a complex issue of immense importance, as schools are constantly faced with decisions of how (and how much) technology should be introduced into their classrooms. The rapid influx of technology in our nation’s classrooms has left teachers needing to be trained and retrained, and students are figuring out the balance between engaged and distracted. This issue is important for me as an educator on the cusp of securing a teaching job, and my exploration of it for this paper not only caught me up on the topics surrounding the issue, but also allowed me to refine my own feelings toward technology integration.
In this paper, I explored several contemporary issues, both local and national, concerning technology integration. I conducted research by reading blogs and articles that cited research, expertise, or both, and I interviewed teachers with experience in this area. As a result, I was given time to reflect on my values as they pertain to technology. Some of my concerns about the drawbacks of certain educational technologies were confirmed, while others were alleviated. Ultimately, my writing reflected a deeper understanding of the issue and a more balanced approach to technology integration.
I chose to reflect on this artifact because it symbolized a turning point in my professional growth. Until this point, I held very strong feelings toward technology integration that were based more on bias than on research, but I was determined to change this. My greatest concern with the issue was, and still is, that students will begin to rely on the technology to do their thinking for them, and that the constant attention to screens will reduce their brain’s ability to focus without them. We simply have not had the technology long enough to know the long-term effects. Conveniently, the book I am reading now, Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids (Walsh, 2011), addresses this issue. Walsh confirms that children who endure too much “screen time” strengthen their reactive attention system, but weaken their focused attention system (2011, p. 53). My hope as an educator is to identify and utilize technology that will genuinely help students learn, but to also show them that their ability to reason, calculate, and analyze on their own is of equal, if not greater, importance.
For EDU 501 (Leadership, Worldview, and Contemporary Issues), I elected to write my final paper on the issue of technology integration in education. This is indeed a complex issue of immense importance, as schools are constantly faced with decisions of how (and how much) technology should be introduced into their classrooms. The rapid influx of technology in our nation’s classrooms has left teachers needing to be trained and retrained, and students are figuring out the balance between engaged and distracted. This issue is important for me as an educator on the cusp of securing a teaching job, and my exploration of it for this paper not only caught me up on the topics surrounding the issue, but also allowed me to refine my own feelings toward technology integration.
In this paper, I explored several contemporary issues, both local and national, concerning technology integration. I conducted research by reading blogs and articles that cited research, expertise, or both, and I interviewed teachers with experience in this area. As a result, I was given time to reflect on my values as they pertain to technology. Some of my concerns about the drawbacks of certain educational technologies were confirmed, while others were alleviated. Ultimately, my writing reflected a deeper understanding of the issue and a more balanced approach to technology integration.
I chose to reflect on this artifact because it symbolized a turning point in my professional growth. Until this point, I held very strong feelings toward technology integration that were based more on bias than on research, but I was determined to change this. My greatest concern with the issue was, and still is, that students will begin to rely on the technology to do their thinking for them, and that the constant attention to screens will reduce their brain’s ability to focus without them. We simply have not had the technology long enough to know the long-term effects. Conveniently, the book I am reading now, Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids (Walsh, 2011), addresses this issue. Walsh confirms that children who endure too much “screen time” strengthen their reactive attention system, but weaken their focused attention system (2011, p. 53). My hope as an educator is to identify and utilize technology that will genuinely help students learn, but to also show them that their ability to reason, calculate, and analyze on their own is of equal, if not greater, importance.
edu_501_final_paper.pdf |
Significance
Through the process of writing this paper, I became more aware of my own predispositions to educational technology and deepened my understanding of the various sides of the issue. With so many educational technologies on the market, and with school administrations and technology corporations both seeking a competitive edge, teachers must be aware of the implications technology integration has for their classrooms. Fortunately, crafting this paper heightened my sensitivity to the issues surrounding technology integration, and gave me a solid foundation of research on which I can base my attitude and my values as they pertain to educational technology. I still do not have a wealth of experience to draw from in this area, but I know that I will soon become a part of the ongoing research into the benefits and drawbacks of technology integration.
Links to Theory & Worldview
Researching and writing about this issue was an exercise in both information processing and constructivist learning. My prior knowledge of technology integration was drawn from as I reflected on my own opinions toward it and my previous experience with it. As I gathered information and gained new insight, I had to process the information and identify the most relevant points to include in the paper. My findings then required me to confront my existing beliefs, and to either assimilate the new learning or accommodate my views. I was able to do a little bit of each, as some of my beliefs were confirmed while others were challenged. This process helped me to more deeply understanding the issue of technology integration and to develop a more informed view of it. As explained near the end of my paper, I have learned to teach effectively without a plethora of technological resources at my disposal. While I taught in China, I had to overcome a lack of up-to-date technology and ubiquitous Internet access. Many sites and web tools that are now touted for their collaborative advantages are inaccessible in China. Yet, because of my creativity and problem-solving skills, I was able to use the resources I did have to achieve my educational objectives and to help my students achieve theirs.
Certainly my teaching was far from perfect; I simply did the best I could with what I had. I know that in the future, I will have more technological resources available for use, and I am determined to use them to their fullest to help my students learn. This calls to mind the writings of Paul in Philippians 4:11-12: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Of course, Paul is referring to his quality of life, and not educational resources. But the application is that we should not bemoan what we do not have, but appreciate what we do have. Teachers’ attitudes toward their resources will indeed influence the way they perceive their capabilities, and if teachers do not believe that they can teach, how are they to believe that their students can learn?
Professional Actions
Because of the time and energy I devoted to understanding the issue of technology integration, I believe I am now more equipped to effectively teach while harnessing the advantages educational technology has to offer. I benefitted from the experience and wisdom of teachers who are faced with this issue every day, as they gave me their honest evaluations of the tablet technology they use in their classrooms. (Incidentally, collaboration among teachers is a crucial component of effectively technology integration.) I now know that I can model for students an appreciation of what technology can do, along with an honest understanding of what it cannot do. As I continue to teach, I will continue to research the issues surrounding technology integration to find the most effective ways to wring student achievement from all the available resources.
Throughout most of my life, I have been eager to explore and achieve competence with technology. I have also come to appreciate what I can do and learn without technology. I still believe in the emotional, physical, and spiritual harm that can come from being “glued” to a device, as I have experienced it plenty myself and now see it occurring constantly among people of all ages. Therefore, I hope to instill in my students values of respect, patience, self-control – all qualities that will improve their own well-being and facilitate healthy interpersonal relationships. I also intend to show them the power of technology for learning, and how to wisely harness it for their own benefit. This will only be achieved with practice, patience, and persistence, but I believe it will be worth every effort.
Through the process of writing this paper, I became more aware of my own predispositions to educational technology and deepened my understanding of the various sides of the issue. With so many educational technologies on the market, and with school administrations and technology corporations both seeking a competitive edge, teachers must be aware of the implications technology integration has for their classrooms. Fortunately, crafting this paper heightened my sensitivity to the issues surrounding technology integration, and gave me a solid foundation of research on which I can base my attitude and my values as they pertain to educational technology. I still do not have a wealth of experience to draw from in this area, but I know that I will soon become a part of the ongoing research into the benefits and drawbacks of technology integration.
Links to Theory & Worldview
Researching and writing about this issue was an exercise in both information processing and constructivist learning. My prior knowledge of technology integration was drawn from as I reflected on my own opinions toward it and my previous experience with it. As I gathered information and gained new insight, I had to process the information and identify the most relevant points to include in the paper. My findings then required me to confront my existing beliefs, and to either assimilate the new learning or accommodate my views. I was able to do a little bit of each, as some of my beliefs were confirmed while others were challenged. This process helped me to more deeply understanding the issue of technology integration and to develop a more informed view of it. As explained near the end of my paper, I have learned to teach effectively without a plethora of technological resources at my disposal. While I taught in China, I had to overcome a lack of up-to-date technology and ubiquitous Internet access. Many sites and web tools that are now touted for their collaborative advantages are inaccessible in China. Yet, because of my creativity and problem-solving skills, I was able to use the resources I did have to achieve my educational objectives and to help my students achieve theirs.
Certainly my teaching was far from perfect; I simply did the best I could with what I had. I know that in the future, I will have more technological resources available for use, and I am determined to use them to their fullest to help my students learn. This calls to mind the writings of Paul in Philippians 4:11-12: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Of course, Paul is referring to his quality of life, and not educational resources. But the application is that we should not bemoan what we do not have, but appreciate what we do have. Teachers’ attitudes toward their resources will indeed influence the way they perceive their capabilities, and if teachers do not believe that they can teach, how are they to believe that their students can learn?
Professional Actions
Because of the time and energy I devoted to understanding the issue of technology integration, I believe I am now more equipped to effectively teach while harnessing the advantages educational technology has to offer. I benefitted from the experience and wisdom of teachers who are faced with this issue every day, as they gave me their honest evaluations of the tablet technology they use in their classrooms. (Incidentally, collaboration among teachers is a crucial component of effectively technology integration.) I now know that I can model for students an appreciation of what technology can do, along with an honest understanding of what it cannot do. As I continue to teach, I will continue to research the issues surrounding technology integration to find the most effective ways to wring student achievement from all the available resources.
Throughout most of my life, I have been eager to explore and achieve competence with technology. I have also come to appreciate what I can do and learn without technology. I still believe in the emotional, physical, and spiritual harm that can come from being “glued” to a device, as I have experienced it plenty myself and now see it occurring constantly among people of all ages. Therefore, I hope to instill in my students values of respect, patience, self-control – all qualities that will improve their own well-being and facilitate healthy interpersonal relationships. I also intend to show them the power of technology for learning, and how to wisely harness it for their own benefit. This will only be achieved with practice, patience, and persistence, but I believe it will be worth every effort.