Based on your experiences, what are the greatest challenges for leveraging technology to empower learning in your classroom and school?
One of the greatest challenges with using technology to empower and engage students is using it an innovative, meaningful way. So often technology is used in the classroom asa presentation method, or as a way to do something kids used to do on paper. The real challenge is figuring out how to get kids using technology in novel ways, in ways it’s used in industry, learning actual skills, creating content, and more. For example, I have used Google forms to create online quizzes for students. While this is making use of a tech tool for my own efficiency, kids aren’t getting anything out of that task that they wouldn’t have gotten from the non-tech version. On the other hand, having students create a test-taking strategies wiki that serves as a living, growing tool for not only our classroom but for any other classroom is using technology in a meaningful way, so that kids interact with and learn from one another virtually, and create content from which others can benefit.
Beyond the pedagogical challenges, there are some basic physical challenges. Having access when there are a limited number of devices that have to be signed up for in advance can prove challenging. If the technology isn’t available when we want to do a cool tech thing then, outside of some major shifting of curriculum, we often have to scratch that activity for something more traditional. Maintenance and updating also prove problematic. Personnel to manage and maintain tech is limited in many school systems, so sometimes even when the devices are in the room, they don’t work well (I’ve had repair tickets sit open for weeks on one of the 4 machines that live in my classroom). Technology is also becoming outdated more quickly than ever with new innovations arriving all the time, but replacing and updating technology in public schools isn’t always financially possible at a rate that keeps up with trends.
Another challenge is that with many technology tools being web-based, we open the door to lots of risk and distraction for kids. Many of these tools are more intuitive to kids than they are to me. They often know more about a certain app, or navigate a program more easily. While that’s fine most of the time, sometimes it leads students to mischief, socializing, bullying, or other non-focused activities. At what point do the distractions tech/web bring outweigh the benefits? Designing clear procedures and expectations is more important than ever to be able to overcome this challenge, and this illustrates the need for all of the emerging curriculum in the field of digital citizenship.