To Type or Not to Type
Hi everyone!
My name is Adela Perez and I am currently a Senior at CSUN while simultaneously student teaching at a nearby middle school. The jump between teaching 13 year olds then interacting with like-minded peers can be jarring, but nonetheless, I feel that I gain a richness in experience in both of these settings. The conversation of technology in the classroom continues to come up, and with good reason. Is technology in the classroom harmful and detrimental to the learning and academic achievement of students? Or are the modern day devices worth implementing into our teaching practices to alleviate old and dated ways of learning? Personally, I have had some positive experiences with technology in the classroom, specifically at the university level. Hyflex courses, for example, are designed to utilize platforms, such as Zoom, to grant students the flexibility to learn from home. As a busy mom, it is these types of applications that make me grateful for technology in the classroom. Plus, having work saved onto a computer or device truly lessens the worries that come with never-ending loose papers. These physicalities all run the risk of students, or even teachers, losing them. Also, there are many ways for students to learn using technology, such as interactive games like Kahoot or Jeopardy. Utilizing technology in the classroom increases the chances of media literacy, which is beneficial for both students and educators, as they both partake and are a part of an increasingly modern and technical world.
Despite these benefits, however, it is important to consider and be mindful of the challenges that come with the implementation of technology within the classroom. The most obvious and significant one would be the inevitable distracted student, who likely is abusing the convenience of having a computer in front of them to do anything outside of their work. Adding to that, let’s face it: technology advances quicker than an average student or educator can keep up with. Just when we learn something new that revolutionizes our teaching or learning, a brand new app, feature, or hack cuts in line and forces us back to square one. Plus, there are many issues that teachers and students run into in which the only rehabilitation results in a back-and-forth consultation with IT. The role of technology can be beneficial, but despite its facade of perfect appearance and beautiful convenience, nothing is ever truly perfect, especially in the classroom. My best advice to future teachers would be to do what works for you. If it’s not broken don’t fix it, and if it is broken, call the school’s IT.
Hi Adela, I enjoyed reading your post and your perspective on the role of media technology in education. You bring up valid points in addressing how technology can be a useful tool and misused in education. Media technology is constantly evolving and I believe teachers should have access to a course that keeps them updated on the latest tech. Whether we like it or not, students will continue to evolve each year with the newest technology. I’ll admit that I’m not very tech-savvy and when the pandemic came I wasn’t prepared for online classes or for teaching elementary students virtually. It was the most challenging first year for me because I wasn’t used to working online or taking any classes online. However, I persevered not only for myself but also for my younger students. As you mentioned, Kahoot and Jeopardy were great tools for engaging students and providing a fun break especially since they couldn’t have recess. Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, I learned a lot about media technology and myself. I’m forever grateful because now transitioning to online or Hyflex classes is much easier. -Samantha
ReplyDeleteHi Adela
ReplyDeleteYour perspective on media technology in the classroom was very interesting to read. I agreed with most of your points and the one that stood out to me the most was using Kahoot. I work at a middle school and when class first starts it is hard to get kids to pay attention. Kahoot has done a fantastic job of solving this problem. Using Kahoot as a warm up has been a great way to start class. The kids love competition and by competing with each other they manage to learn a few things. One point you made that stood out to me was issues with IT. I cannot even count the number of times the internet has gone down or an app has not worked on an important testing day. If an entire class was based on technology it would be a nightmare due to how inconsistent the internet can be.
-Aidan Sova