Obviously, I am not the biggest football fan. That's why I can write this without struggling too much with my focus. FYI, I am secretly rooting for the Eagles. My husband just informed me that most people are not so secretly rooting for the Eagles.
Now on to my blog.....
This week in 790 EDU we are taking a look at educational technology research. There is a multitude of reports that offer up-to-date research. Two reports that I found of particular interest came from Project Tomorrow that has an in-depth report on "Trends in Digital Learning" and McGraw-Hill Education with an educational survey on "Survey: More Than Half of Students Want Their Classes to go Digital". Here are several other links to additional reports you might find of interest: Horizon Report, Pew Research Institute, and Common Sense Media/Common Sense Education.
There is a statistic from the Project Tomorrow Report that I found of particular interest. It states,
"Teachers identified five essential elements
that they need to effectively and efficiently integrate digital content, tools
and resources into daily instruction in their classroom: planning time,
access to technology in the classroom, technology support, professional
development and consistent, high quality Internet connectivity. "
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| photo from Mr. Elementary Math |
I couldn't agree with this statistic more. As a teacher struggling with using technology in my classroom, I find that my struggle is related to many of the issues listed above. I continually long for more planning time to figure out how to implement different tools in my special education classroom. I would love to have more access to technology (I have on old IPad 2, a very old interactive white board, and 5 desktop computers). I am my own technology support and pursuing my own professional development by working toward my endorsement in educational technology. Our current education system is not providing the support that teachers need to feel set up for success. As the demands are being piled on for teachers all of the things teachers need to meet those demands, like the things listed above of, are happening less and less.
Another statistic that I found interesting is from McGraw-Hill Education. They conducted a survey titled "Survey: More than Half the Students their Classes Want to go Digital". One of the findings from the survey states,
"While the majority of students have smartphones, only about 38 percent
said they use smartphones to complete homework assignments and study for exams."
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| Image from Toronto Sun |
I was actually surprised to read this. So many schools and teachers allow students to use their phones to complete work or to participate in educational activities within the classroom. I have a hard time understanding why students would not then use their phones to help them complete homework or study for tests. A teacher from my kids high school once told me about a student that completed a paper for him on his smart phone. He mentioned that the paper he turned in was written and formatted correctly. When I showed my husband this statistic (who happens to be a tech guy for a school system in Indiana), he quickly quipped ,"yeah, but they use them to cheat on tests!". I couldn't help but laugh because it's probably true, at least in the upper grades.
.......and the Eagles Won!!!!!
.......and the Eagles Won!!!!!
The 5 essential elements is a great list and like you stated all equally important. I admire that you are willing to take on the role of being your own tech support and trying to gain your own professional development. Far too many educators would use your scenario (old tech, no training) as an excuse to not try to reach students with technology. Kudos to you for setting a positive example for your colleagues AND students! Does your school have technology coaches to help with PD?
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your second statistic about smart phones I would have to imagine that if a student is completing a paper on a smartphone it might be that they don't have access to an actual computer or laptop. We need to keep that in mind when assigning homework that requires technology.
Hi Bonnie,
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine typing a whole paper on a phone! I would be so frustrated! While we do have Chromebooks in our school, during testing season (one quarter of the school year), we cannot use the devices. So I am very much in the same place as you right now, with three old iPads sitting in the corner of my room. I go back and forth between making the iPads station work, especially for skill practice, and using them for extensions for early finishers. It is difficult, though. There are all kinds of questions in regards to equity that come up when not everyone gets to use the device in a week.
Bonnie: I agree with you wholeheartedly. I feel like a lot of school expect a technology component in their teachers' classrooms, but then do not provide teachers with sufficient time to plan for it. There should be more professional development available to teachers regarding technology usage in the classroom. I have worked in 3 different schools and it was not until my most recent school that technology was made abundantly available to us. Granted, it is a matter of resources and unfortunately lower budget schools are not able to do all that more fortunate institutions and districts are able. I also can't imagine using my phone to type a paper, but back to my point about a lack of resources... many students sometimes only have access to a mobile device, rather than a computer. When I worked in an alternative high school on the West Side of Chicago, many of my students could only access materials online using their phones.
ReplyDeleteI don't know any teacher that doesn't struggle with the 5 elements you pointed out. Time is always a challenge even when the technology is great. I also have five older iPads. I still manage to find ways to use them, but each year gets more challenging as Apps that worked before don't always work as well. We have one to one netbooks as well, but they are ten years old (ancient in technology years), and they struggle to even connect to the internet. Even basic typing is a challenge, as the batteries don't hold a charge for long. I try to stay on top of ways to get newer technology tools, but time is again a challenge. Kuddos for what you're doing on your own.
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