Grace Gil

IT 442

2/22/17

Philosophy of Technology

Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and

motivating them, the teacher is the most important

Bill Gates

The topic of implementing technology within our classrooms has

become a hot topic among educators and in society. Should we or should we

not implement technology within our classrooms? Technology is more than

the gadgets that we as Americans consume and buy. It is more than the 5-

inch screen that millennials are addicted to, the different brands of tablets or

the plethora of laptops seen on a college campus.

Technology is a tool that advances knowledge in multiple fields,

ranging from education, medical, science and engineering, to fields that are

continuing to grow and will be created for the next generation. Technology is

everywhere- we live in a world where we are reliant on technology and it is

intertwined into almost every part of our lives. The affect that technology has

on our life is tremendous- from the way we shop, eat, communicate,

socialize, and play. With an impact of technology this big, why wouldnt we

bring that into our classrooms and implement it in our own teaching and

instruction?
 Technology fits with my theoretical framework that every student

should be reached, helped and provided ways to succeed. I believe that it

should be our jobs as educators to ensure that each student in our classroom

is receiving resources and strategies that will meet them where they are and

push them to get to where they are expected to be. Its about finding tools

and strategies that are equitable for all students and will only benefit their

growth and development. The SAMR model focuses on helping teachers to

design, develop and infuse digital experiences that utilize technology and I

could not agree more with this model. We should be finding ways to

incorporate technology to help and enhance our lessons, our instructions so

that our students are getting a differentiated yet fun and exciting way to

learn and enjoy the subjects being taught.

Using technology is effective in so many ways. One way is that it

makes teaching and learning more fun for everyone and increases

engagement and participation within the classroom. My first quarter in

Woodring, I worked in a 2nd grade class and part of their math section was

going onto the computers and using a program called Mathletics which is

basically a math game. It tracked student scores, progress and levels. In that

class, students ranged from a kindergarten math level to a high 3rd grade

math level, so using tools like Mathletics was helpful to keep track of

students learning levels and for individualized pace but every student was
engaged and participated because it was fun and they enjoyed it. Kevin

Honeycut, in his talk, mentions that technology can be used to increase

engagement- maybe not all the time but to tailor the teaching and see how

to improve lessons and engagement.

Not only is incorporating technology fun, but it is effective for the use

of assessment. Using technological tools as part of assessments and gaging

where students comprehension level is beneficial for both student and

teacher. Edutopia.org states Technology offers educators effective ways to

reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through

multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and

student. Students who may be shy or reluctant to answer will have a better

opportunity to answer with tools like Kahoot or Plickers- versus the standard

raising your hand and speak in front of the whole class approach. Even in

the education field, we are moving towards implementing more technology

to assess students learning and needs.

Lastly, technology within the classrooms is effective because it helps

students prepare for their future. By the time our elementary students will

have jobs, they will be using technology every day. They will have jobs that

are not even created yet or jobs that are much more advanced then now.

With our fast-growing world becoming more dependent on technology, that

means our students are going to have to be more tech-savvy. And

implementing technology and using technology in the classrooms will teach

our students how to effectively use technology and the different tools they

may need in the future.

Technology should be used for many different reasons and

circumstances within the classroom. Reasons like working with students with

a disability and ELL Students; it is helpful to have an assistive technology

that can support them in any way needed. Technology like brail or a text

reader can help students that may be visually impaired. Technology like the

microphone or using visual cues on the smartboard is helpful for students

that have ADHD. And there are a variety of technological tools that could be

used to support ELL Students. Such as Newslea, Google Translate App, Snap

& Read, Clicker Connect, Epic, Hot Dots and even Autocrat (One note

collaborate classroom spreadsheet). Tools that can be downloaded to any

device or bought for a low price will go a long way in helping students that

are not proficient in English yet.

One of the most important aspects that technology plays a role in, is

communication and building relationships with families and parents.

Although sending a paper home has been the go to for schools; using

email, text messages. Skype and even giving parents access to classroom

blogs are all new ways to communicate to families. Having a communal

place for families to keep track of student work or even using email/text

messaging makes communication faster and easier to access. Some tools

that can be used to have active engagement from family is kid blog, google

hangout, facetime, skype and class dojo.

 A barrier that technology could have on communicating with families is

that not every family has a technological device at home like a computer,

laptop or tablet. They might not have a phone that can go online and use

data either- so keeping those resources on paper would be beneficial for

families that might not have the luxury of technological devices. Not only

that, but some families might not know how to use these apps. Programs and

devices and that is something to keep in mind in the classrooms. Not every

family is going to be tech savvy or have the time to spend on the computer.

Technology is a tool that should be used within our classrooms, it is a

tool that will benefit the students now and in the future and is effective in

reaching all learning styles, academic levels and helps educators with

differentiating instruction. Not only is it beneficial, but it creates an

environment where learning ins encouraged, where creativity is promoted

and where learning knowledge of technology is required.

Citations

Edutopia. "Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are

Many." Edutopia. N.p., 17 Mar. 2008. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

K. Honeycutt (2016). NCEE 2016 Keynote: Kevin Honeycutt.

http://blog.ncce.org/2016/03/24/ncce-2016-keynote-kevin-honeycutt/