Prior to making a career change into education, I spent nearly 20 years working in the IT field, so I am very familiar with the usefulness and value technology brings. I am a strong supporter of using technology within the classroom whenever possible, while also being sure we as teachers do not overuse it and lose focus on the learning objective.
The purpose of this website is to serve as a guide to help others determine what technology ideas may be right for them. Within these blog posts are topics and ideas related to equitable and ethical use, social responsibility, formative and summative assessments, various technology tools and apps, as well as using tech to foster independent learning.
I hope the following blog posts help educate you about the variety of uses technology can offer in your classroom, and that the information engages and encourages you to utilize it appropriately for all of your present and future students.
In order to fully implement technology successfully and properly, the following three areas must be considered and addressed: Equitable Use. School Administration and its teachers need to focus on equity in schools, which concerns students' equal access to their materials both in and out of school. When technology is implemented, students can access learning materials more readily, especially when outside of the school building. This creates an environment with less barriers to learning. The idea of equitable use also allows students to work at more personalized levels and at their own pace. Since the students are more "connected", this also allows district leaders to use data to make informed decisions and helps guide them towards supportive actions for students. Ethical Use. While there are many benefits and positive outcomes, using technology in the classroom does open up some potential ethical issues. Teachers and students must ensure that they are using academic honesty and research ethics when they are using various tech tools and applications. Plagiarism - using someone else's works or creations without their permission - is a concern and must not be permitted. Teachers should look to educate students on respecting others intellectual property. Also, because of the enhanced communication between teacher and student, there exists a potential gray area where certain interactions could be considered inappropriate. In general, teachers should avoid texting or chatting directly with students outside of school approved mediums. Finally, districts should take caution to be transparent with students and parents regarding what information is being collected and how it is being shared. While this list is certainly not exhaustive, it will give the teachers and students a great start in creating a technological learning environment that remains ethically responsible. Social Responsibility. Teachers and students alike both have a responsibility to use the technology available to them in a responsible way. This includes elements that include equitable and ethical use, as well as elements that create an atmosphere of responsible use. These elements of responsible use of the technology for the students themselves as well as towards their classmates and teachers is called digital citizenship. Two of the biggest areas within digital citizenship that I think relate to students being responsible online are digital law and digital etiquette. Students must be instructed at an early age that they have an electronic responsibility for their actions and deeds. Just like they understand that stealing in "real life" is not permitted, they must also learn and adopt standards that keep them from pirating software, hacking, or other illegal activities online. Digital etiquette also must be instilled within students, which helps them understand the electronic standards of conduct online and what behaviors are acceptable as well as which ones are not. In classrooms where digital citizenship is taught effectively, the teachers typically have two common themes: They themselves model ethical technology usage for their students, acting in a socially responsible way, and wherever technology is used within their lesson plans, they incorporate digital citizenship conversations naturally to further instill the theme for their students. (Krueger, 2020) Resources Krueger, N. (2020, Oct 6). "9 Resources for teaching digital citizenship". Retrieved from: https://www.iste.org/explore/9-resources-teaching-digital-citizenship