When I first began my journey
into the field of education I had a preconceived idea of what a classroom looks
like. It had been many years since I had stepped foot in a public school
classrooms and I still envisioned them to be the traditional classrooms I
received my education in. Students sitting at desks as teachers taught their
lessons as students followed along in textbooks and notes were written on the chalkboard.
I still thought of computers as a
tool in the classroom children were allowed to take turns using to play
approved games. Most adults my age will have fond memories of Oregon Trail, but
using a computer or any type of technology as a tool for learning in the
classroom did not cross my mind. Recognizing the potential of technology as a
teaching tool can be found as far back as the 1960's. After Seymour
Papert a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
collaborated with Swill psychologist Jean Piaget he developed the Logo
programming language and began introducing it to children. This program was
designed to be simple enough for those who do not yet have sophisticated
mathematical understanding. With minimal instruction students were able to
write programs that controlled the movements of a turtle robot. Since the
1960's to today nearly every public school in the United States has been
connected to the Internet making it possible for students to now connect with
the world (Boss 2014).
Just having computers in the
classroom does not mean you have integrated technology into your classroom. As
I walked into a elementary school last week in Concord NH I was shocked to
learn each student had the use of iPads on a 1:1 bases and each teacher as
well. Every student in the school was using an iPad! Not only did students have
access to theses tool but they were using them in their every day learning. In
a report done for the foundation Cable in the Classroom James Marshall found
that technology “complements what a teacher does naturally…With ever expanding
contents and technology choices, from videos to multimedia to the Internet,
there’s an unprecedented needed to understand the recipe for success, which
involves the learner, the teacher, the content, and the environment in which
technology is used” (Boss 2014). Fourth graders were researching Birds of Prey
and making Picture Collages, Second Graders were practicing spelling writing
their spelling words, and there was everything in between. It really was an
amazing thing to observe. In November 2010 the latest National Education
Technology Plan was released by the Department of Education entitled
Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. This plan
outlines a vision to “leverage the learning sciences and modern technology to
create engaging, relevant, and personalized learning experiences for all
learning that mirror students daily lives and the reality of their futures. In
contrast to traditional classroom instruction this requires that we put
students at the center an empower them to take control of their own learning by
providing flexibility on several dimensions.” The plan also calls for
“connected teaching” in which educators connect to “resources and expertise
that improve their own instructional practices and guide them in becoming
facilitators and collaborators in their students increasingly self directed
learning” (Boss 2014). Teachers were truly providing their students with an
opportunity to work with tools that will only become more important and
necessary and they turn into adults and enter the work force. The use of this
type of technology will only be more a part of the work force for them then we
can imagine and it is important we give these students the opportunity to truly
be able to understand everything you are able to use them for; writing,
researching, programming and so much more.
Work Cited:
Boss, Suzie "Technology integration: a short history" April 13, 2014 www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-history
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