One of the biggest challenges I went through in my teaching career is teaching students who do not know life without a computer. Going through this learning process made me appreciate the power of technology in my classroom. Clearly in 21st century, learning to collaborate with others through technology in knowledge based community is critical to students success. Technology has enabled me to address diverse learning styles in my classroom, integrate rich form of online research, and increase collaboration amongst students by giving them access to educational resources. Technology has brought significant changes in the education field. It has allowed me to seek greater specialization in the curriculum and teaching methodologies. With these benefits of technology, I am also encountering some challenges in my classrooms.
1. Technology can be disruptive inside the classroom: Multitasking between laptop, smartphone and other technologies in the classroom often distracts students. The urge to check emails, go on face book, tweeting and blogging distracts learning . It is impossible to sit in front of a web browser and not use it! I have asked my students to keep the laptop monitors down during instruction and open it during hands on time.
2. Assuming every student in this digital generation is tech savvy: Even though most of the students know how to use smart phones for watching you tube videos does not mean that they know how to use technology to solve problems, and use it for application purposes. I found it very interesting to learn and help them through frustrations of not being able to use logger pro, or use their smart phone in the labs.
3. If not monitored closely, students cheat on assessments: World wide web gives students all the information at their fingertips. If not monitored, students use their smart phone and cheat.
Even with these challenges I cannot imagine my class with technology not present. As an educator I will continue to expand and explore new technologies before they hit the floor of the classroom.
Durham county is instituting the BYOD policy next year. This will be tricky. I think it will end up being “table top use.” If you’re willing to search and read something while the device is in full view, then it’s worthy of classtime. If you feel the need to hide it in your lap, it’s probably not OK.
In addition to all the things you’ve listed, I think what bothers me about relying upon technology in the classroom is that my students don’t know how to determine a good resource from a bad one. They have many more terrible options now than in the days of the paper resource, so it’s even more imperative to teach kids the skills they need to think critically!
Emily,
Each new step forward requires us to relook at what else must go with the new next step. I had not heard of ‘table top use’ but that makes lots of sense. Thanks for the concept and the heads up. Do you think we will have phone baskets on our tables like crayon baskets and pencil cases with space for ‘devices’? 🙂
Donna
Hello Kalyani,
You seem to have the balance of knowing the good of technology and knowing there can be evil. I think learning to tell students to shut their computers, turn them backwards or sideways or half-closed like a clam is a necessity. You figured that out.
Likewise, you seem to understand that our digital natives might have only visited wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook and Netflix having not picked up a passport for other educational travel destinations. I guess we should not be surprised. The good thing is that this gives us something to be ‘experts’ in in terms of technology.
Yes, it is shocking that cheating seems easier than ever! When previously people snuck in notes on gum wrappers and cuffs, the size of the cheating sources has expanded exponentially.
Nice post.
Donna