Month: July 2021

   In this current generation, having students leave their cellular devices at home or off school campus is nearly impossible. Therefore, as teachers, we must learn how to incorporate students’ interest on the classroom in order to keep them engaged. Times are different and more dangerous than when we were high school and junior high. Students have more responsibilities outside of school and having their cell phones on them has become a necessity. Most students have obligations outside of school that requires the need of cellphones. According to studies, 95% of students bring their phones to class every day. Therefore, teachers must become a creative as to how these devices can be used in the classroom to keep the students engaged.

   There are plenty of benefits of having cellphones in the classroom. It is a great way to set the tone for a positive student learning environment. In order to accomplish this, teachers must be very clear about their expectations for the use of technology in the classroom. I’ll take my classroom experience for example. I teach biology in a high school setting, and I allow my students to use their electronic devices throughout class for a variety of reasons such as: finding additional resources, examples for class discussions, group projects, class learning games, and also listening to music during independent work. You would be amazed as to how much more work students will achieve in class when they are able to have in their headphones and listen to music. As a teacher in the 21^st century, it is important that educators adapt to new learning methods in order to connect to their students.

   Based on a couple of websites I attained information from, below are some great examples of how cell phones should be used in the classroom effectively.

#1) Allow students to utilize educational learning apps

With cellphones in the classroom, it gives students access to tools and apps in order to expand their knowledge and practice standards. It is also a way that students can improve their study habits. Examples are time management and organizational skills.

#2) Incorporate digital platforms into lessons

Social media has a huge influence on students and don’t necessarily have to be a negative influence. The use of social media can keep students interested in class and encourage them to participate in class discussions. In the past, I noticed that social media allows students who are introverts to express themselves openly.

#3) Supplementing lesson plans and standards with digital material

This relates to allowing students to use the internet to gain more research about a certain topic in class while having class discussions. Textbooks don’t always have relevant information, therefore allowing students access to the internet can help them have real life relatable examples.

N,A. CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM: LEARNING TOOL OR DISTRACTION. 22 Apr 2019. Oxford Learning. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordlearning.com/should-cell-phones-be-allowed-classrooms/

Solomon, JD. The great smartphone debate. 26 March 2019. District Administration. Retrieved from https://districtadministration.com/the-great-smartphone-debate/

Using cell phones in the classroom can be very invigorating to learning. Cell phones complement learning, they are small handheld portable computers. (Thomas et al., 2013, pg. 295) The issue with utilizing cell phones in the classroom is that students get easily distracted with the other items cellphones provide besides the work at hand. When students use their phone instead of the school’s equipment it is not easy for the Teacher to monitor the student’s engagement. These devices support instruction, but with texts, social media, and other disruptive apps the support can quickly be null and void. (Thomas et al., 2013, pg. 296) Parents it would help if you talk with your child(ren) about the importance of being on task and having their device on silent. When phones ring in class it causes a disruption especially if they have a song ringtone. Hearing a phone ring negatively affects students concentration on the task at hand. (Thomas et al., 2013, pg. 299) When a phone rings the student has to find their phone, turn it off, other students are now focused on the song, who it was, and then want to discuss them interruption. This are kids being kids, but it disrupts the educational process. Being disrupted while testing can affect the whole process, because the room being silent and students focusing on the information that is stored within to regurgitate on the test. During instruction time this is also a problem because it causes students to become off task. Even though we would like to show or students that there are other ways to appropriately use their devices besides talking, texting, social media for social purposes; Educators cannot risk the decline of students learning. Texting is another issue that cellphones cause in the classroom because students can silently be disruptive. When students are texting they are more focused on the conversation they are having on their phone than what is going on in the classroom. Some could say students text in class because the lesson or engagement is boring, but in actuality texting and phone usage is a problem everywhere. It has to be advertised in the movie theater and courtroom not to be used. We are in a society where phones plague our way of living. Despite that we are taking care of business a notification trumps that business; which once again, is why business have to shun phone usage at counters, banks, theaters, court, etc. When test taking students can use their phone to cheat and send to others. (Thomas et al., 2013, pg. 299) Lastly, sexting is another issue that arises and can hider learning. (Thomas et al., 2013, pg. 300) Then sexting can lead to cyber bullying, or they can cyber bully students while in class. A quarter of teens have experienced cyber bullying through texts or calls. (Thomas et al., 2013, pg. 300) This does not only cause distractions, but messed with another persons self esteem. If a student’s mind is bothered by the negative statements of others then they are not able to be on task and it may cause students to harm themselves. Even though we do enjoy incorporating cell phones into learning, we want to make sure they are used appropriately in the classroom. As long as everyone is on the same page of positive use, then we can be supporters of their learning achievement. 

Thomas, K., O’Bannon, B., & Bolton, N. (2013). Cell Phones in the Classroom: Teachers’ Perspectives of Inclusion, Benefits, and Barriers. Computers in the Schools, 30(4), 295–308. https://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2092/10.1080/07380569.2013.844637

As a visitor, walking down the hallways of a school site will look astonishingly different than it did a decade ago. Technology has become such an essential part of today’s classroom, that it is quite uncanny to see learning cease should a school site lose connection. Like all things, there are quite a few significant advantages and disadvantages to the use of technology. Several educator’s have expressed their frustration regarding the invasiveness of technology in their classrooms. While some may see it as a useful tool, others see it as something that can be debilitating to both student and teacher. In my opinion, the detriments of technology in the classroom are and few in between. Students will be distracted in some shape, form, or fashion whether or not technology is in the classroom which is the main argument for wanting technology and education segregated. However, there are a plethora of benefits that are associated with the full integration of technology in the classroom.  

During the pandemic, the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom were displayed across the globe. Students and teachers, in a sense, were forced to explore these advantages and disadvantages due to environmental circumstances. In the United States, teachers had the ability to personalize lessons based on individual student learning abilities. This task became much less complex due to the instant feedback received from assignments online. Teachers were also able to monitor, and increase, student participation simultaneously because of this instant feedback as well. Lessons became more interactive online which inadvertently switched the learning environment in the classroom from teacher based to student based. Teachers became more of a facilities than instructors in a virtual learning environment. Because of the increased interactive lessons and increased student participation, students became more accountable and responsible for their own success and/or failures. According to the article, Classroom Transformations, it is stated that “the flexibility and capability to create personalized learning environments for students of varying abilities and learning styles greatly expands opportunities for meaningful engagement, productive collaboration and higher achievement,”((CDW-G, 2018) which indicates that technology is an effective learning tool in today’s modern education. 

            Unfortunately, for some students, virtual learning have not been very beneficial. Depending on the environment a student is in, virtual learning may be more of a detriment than a benefit. Some students do not have access to reliable devices or the internet connection necessary to be apart of an online classroom. In other cases, some students are not disciplined enough to maintain their own focus in a virtual learning environment and because of this, students grow restless, easily lose focus, becoming uninterested and disengaged in the lesson/assignment. In these circumstances, it would be more beneficial for students to be in a face-to-face learning environment as opposed to virtual learning. Also, some students utilize an in-person learning environment as an escape due to the inconducive living environment they are subjected to. 

            All stakeholders in education or a school site must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages for the use of technology in the classroom. As administrators, it is imperative you communicate best practices on how to utilize technology to teachers, parents, and students. Teachers need support, along with development, when navigating new methods and practices to teach, even more so in uncharted teaching environments. Students are aware of a stressful or ineffective learning environment which in turn affects their performance. A poor performing teacher results in poor performing students. In order to avoid this, administrators must ensure teachers have all the necessary required resources to lead a productive, efficient, and effective learning environment. 

References 

CDW-G. (2018). Learning Gets Personal: Classroom Transformation. Retrieved July 2021, from Solution Spotlight website: https://cdw-prod.adobecqms.net/content/dam/cdw/on-domain-cdwg/industries/k-12-education/learning-gets-personal-classroom-transformations.pdf?cm_ven=acquirgy&cm_cat=google&cm_pla=SGMT+K12+Education&cm_ite=Classroom+Technology+B&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI4-7J2L3b8QIVgbyGCh2F4gZIEAAYASAAEgIdZ_D_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4223!3!269245850829!b!!g!!%2Btechnology%20%2Bclassroom&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4-7J2L3b8QIVgbyGCh2F4gZIEAAYASAAEgIdZ_D_BwE

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Hi everyone! I teach at Florida Virtual School and I love teaching virtually! Initially, I thought I would have concerns about not really getting to know my students that well in this mode of learning, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! There’s only one down side: when students want to hide, they can…and they sometimes even hide behind someone else’s work or what Google knows.

”Kids are using the world wide web to get answers quickly for tests and homework, and it’s a red flag that can’t be ignored. ‘Cheating’s been a problem for a while and it’s certainly getting worse with the students at home,’ said Ethan Fieldman. He’s the CEO of Math Nation,” (Fox). Not seeing your students complete their own work can make it difficult to identify whether it is truly their own work, especially in the beginning of a class. As you get to know your students, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to cheat, in front of you or not, but academic dishonesty is definitely the dark side of virtual learning.

”With the assistance of the Internet and related technologies, students today have many more ways to be academically dishonest than students a generation ago,” (Watson). Because they have so many options and opportunities to cheat and take the easy way out, it is our responsibility to make learning an innovative and engaging platform so they choose to learn and complete their own work. It is also imperative that teachers and parents are monitoring student work and progress to make sure that all work is authentic to the student. An easy way to monitor students is to conduct discussions with the students that are based on their assignments and lessons. If a student is unable to discuss work that has been submitted, it would be easy to determine that the work is not their own and consequences should be assigned. If a student is able to discuss the work that was submitted, then it is authentic to the student and should be celebrated as an opportunity to build the relationship with the student virtually.

Another way to ensure individualized work submissions is to use a platform such as Turnitin.com that can check the submitted work for matches to other student work or online sources. If using such a platform, it is also helpful to explain the platform to both parent and student so they understand how the work is scanned and matched. It would also be useful to teach them how to read the reports so they can also be more accountable to the citing of sources and usage of materials.

Technology is incredibly important in the education of our students, and it is important that we utilize the tools of their generation to meet them where they are to help them reach higher to meet their goals. The caveat is that, although we are meeting them with the tools they need, we need to make sure they do not venture into the dark side of virtual learning. To do that, we must stay vigilant, communicate regularly to discuss learning, allow them to be part of the discussion when explaining the expectations of the class and how to read Turnitin reports, and we must put the building blocks for the relationship in place from the first contact to the class.

“Cheating in the Digital Age: Do Students Cheat More in Online Courses?” Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, University of West Georgia Distance and Distributed Education Center, www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring131/watson131.html. 

“Online Cheating on the Rise with Kids Working Remotely.” WXMI, WXMI, 2 Sept. 2020, www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/online-cheating-on-the-rise-with-kids-working-remotely. 

by Lotus Cliff

The integration of technology has expanded in a way that will forever change our perception of technology and the purposeful usage of it. The dynamics of how technology has shifted its course, particularly in education regarding social media has caused students to be distracted. Students nowadays are so consumed into social media that it has them fixated to what people think and what people are doing. Meanwhile, the focus should be on their academics. When I introduce the notion of exploring the ways of technology and applying it productively in my class, the student’s first thought is to become a famous YouTuber, TikTok celebrity, gamer, a coding expert or devoting their time to the stock market; meanwhile others are captivated by their cell phones and social media.

Technology has briskly changed the way students learn and the methods of teachers educating students in the classroom. The use of chalkboards in the classrooms is of the pass, since computers took over. Research shows that children are adapting to technology much more younger than the pass. “Computer use is pervasive among very young children, with half (53%) of all 2 to 4 year olds having ever used a computer, and nine out of 10 (90%) 5 to 8 year olds having done so” (Common Sense Media published in October 2011). While the use of technology progresses, it comes with innovative opportunities and sorts of disputes for students and teachers to explore and tackle. The roles of technology has its ups and downs, especially regarding to how it is unified to teach students the appropriate ways to use it for their benefit and ways to abuse it. Teachers should be responsible for keeping students up to date with what is trending in the world of technology, especially in this era. The thought of change, changing the way we teach, learn new things and to impact a generation to come is not an easy task. It is an ambiguous concept to fathom, but it is obtainable as long as the educator is putting efforts to invest time to take action of his/her duties as an educational leader. This is the reason for teachers or leaders to take a non-directive approach to meet goals and take risks to that will improve student learning.

I noticed during the pandemic, many experienced teachers that have been teaching over 25+ years were having difficulties with getting acquainted with the new software and technology aspect in teaching and engaging their students. Those teachers were stuck in their old ways and wanted to stick to the basics of what they already knew in technology. A hand full of those teachers had little knowledge of how to apply certain technology skills. Those that fell into that bracket decided to retire early before additional technology professional development classes were made mandatory to take. At my worksite, we had optional professional development sessions for teachers to attend if they wanted a refresher. The funny thing is that we had a canvas and Microsoft Teams training courses that were mandatory to attend just weeks prior to all school closures, it was a coincidence, due to the district already had plans for us to teach virtually. We had teachers that volunteered to host the refresher courses in order to support the staff with any challenges they may come across during the social distancing and teaching from home virtually, since it was the new normal. It was a learning process on both ends for teachers, students and parents dealing with the technology errors that were occurring virtually.

Taking risks and learning new things was an advantage. I wanted to make sure my students understood the concept of technology was evolving. So they must try their best to take in everything that is presented to them in order to make it in the technology world we live in. The adequate use of technology is making it work for you in a productive way, such as social networking, marketing, research, to gain knowledge and to make good of it by sharing insight. Incorporating technology in education will better prepare students for the outside tech world, especially when it comes to expertise in the work place. Without the awareness of technology can also hinder a position you are interested in at a job. Technology is an essential component of the learning process in education, which includes students, instructors and leaders as well.

Establishing a group of young life-learners that are tech savvy will better prepare them for success. “It is not about changing who we are as leaders, but changing the way we do things that will transform a school’s culture.”

References:

Sheninger, E. (2019). Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times (Revised). Corwin Press. ISBN: 9781544350837

https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/how-to-use-technology-in-the-classroom/

https://www.southuniversity.edu/news-and-blogs/2016/08/technologys-influence-on-education-76874

We want nothing more than to be accessible to our students, allowing them unlimited resources to reach you because relationships are critical, but to what end are we too connected? An issue I want to bring to light in spite of the advancement of technology and the events of the past year is the overuse of technology and the burnout effect. 

Burnout

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. As the pressure continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a particular role in the first place (Smith, Segal, & Robinson, 2021). I use the burnout effect because sometimes all the work and endless internet loop creep upon you, and you don’t realize until you’ve ultimately had enough.

Technology

Technology integration is the use of technology resources — computers, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, digital cameras, social media platforms and networks, software applications, the Internet, etc. — in daily classroom practices, and in the management of a school (Pearson, 2007). When thinking about this past year and education it’s crazy to think how much changed. Yes, remote learning was put into effect but along with remote teaching is the amount of time we as educators and administrators spend behind a computer or phone. Between emailing, inputting grades, grading assignments, communicating with parents or colleagues, the constant ding we hear is relentless. Our natural reaction to instantly reply and grab our devices is troubling. As educators, we want to reply and respond to parents immediately, but parents should understand teaching comes first. I now have awareness, and that’s probably the best thing to have moving forward; keeping my ear to the ground is helpful, and face-to-face dialogue is key (Rimes, 2017).

Maintaining a work-life balance is crucial.

Tips

Set boundaries and block out your time! It is okay to let colleagues know when not to reach you. Establish an understanding with parents that teaching students come first and responding to them will come later in the day. Dedicate specific times throughout the day when you will reply and check emails.

Constantly remind yourself to disconnect once you leave the school building. Do not open work emails during personal time. Disable work emails notifications on your phone.

Put that funny little do not disturb function on your phone to use. It is a phenomenal tool! Many of our phones offer it automatically, and you can schedule it to repeat at the same time each day. Essentially, it stops all notifications, alerts, and calls from making any noise, vibration, or lighting up on the phone screen. You can establish exceptions to receive certain types of incoming calls. But this trip would benefit no one if you do not set aside specific times daily to disconnect.

Get plenty of sleep.

References

Person. (2007, November 6). What Is Successful Technology Integration? Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-description.

Rimes, B. (2017, October 10). When is Technology for Efficiencies’ Sake Too Much. The Tech Savvy Educator. http://www.techsavvyed.net/archives/4177.

Smith, M., Segal, J., & Robinson, L. (2021, April 19). Burnout Prevention and Treatment. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm.

Sarah C. Francois

EDL 635I

Richard Jones

July 4, 2021

Technology Issue Blog

Technology integration in the classroom could be a major stepping stone to students and teachers alike. First, technology integration is exactly what it sounds like: the blending of technology in the classroom. Teaching in the year of 2021 has definitely taken a turn for a higher platform. All students have been exposed to some sort of technology or internet in their life. They have had some sort of interaction with it as well. Exposure to technology is exposure to resources that are available to the world. Any information that is sought, can be found on the internet. Although it may bot be a physical experience, it is a visual and auditory one. Students and teachers alike have access to unlimited resources beyond the classroom.

In today’s day and age, it is important to integrate technology into education not for the benefit of the teacher but the students. In my experience as a teacher, it is extremely evident that every student learns in a different way. Students also learn at a different pace from each other. WIth this being noted, differentiating instruction could be easily modified with the aid of technology.

Now, one of the major concerns with technology and attempting to integrate it into the classroom, is using technology appropriately. Again, students have been exposed to some sort of technology or the internet by the time they start school. In the classroom, we have a high hope and expectation of what we would like to do with the students, at the same time students have their own agenda ready as well. With the positivity and the light that technology integration could bring to the classroom, it could also create a dimming effect. With the increase of technological access, students now have their own profiles to social media sites. Most of the have used these sites in negative aspects and target other students; bullying and harassing their classmates which in turn could lead to severe consequences. For example, cyber bullying has had a major increase over the past two years. This is the bullying of other students through social media. Now what this has created is a connection and a mess. What I mean is, imagine two students get into an altercation off campus property, happening in the evening of a school day. If the situation never gets resolved, it could leak onto campus and not only have the two parties involved in danger but now creates a threat to the rest of the school community. Imagine if those two engaging parties bring a weapon or it leads to a physical altercation within the presence of the other students. This now endangers them, because of the use of technology. This is the issue with technology.

Another issue is the credibility of sources, not knowing if what we expect to be found will be available and correct. My advice to administration would be to meet and communicate with the teachers within their schools. One major topic I have been learning and experiencing in life, that works; is communication. WIthout communication, nothing could be possible and nothing would be done correctly. A school has a vision and a mission. The administrators who run the school know exactly what they are looking for and what they are trying to achieve. Every leader knows that the goal will always be to press forward. Technology is the key to moving forward however integrating it correctly is crucial to the growth of the students and the school in general. If the admin actually sat down, discussed and listened to the ideas of the teachers and sought to know what they could possibly need to aid the students, they could formulate a budget to get instructional digital material to integrate in the classroom. The admin could discuss guidelines and rules for using technology to avoid cyberbullying and harassment in order to maintain a safe and orderly online environment as well as physical. The admin could also have different student development workshops to help those who struggle with technology learn what they need to in order to ensure their success during the school year. Teachers could voice their concerns as well as receive effective feedback in order to promote growth not just individually but collectively as teams.

Technology issues may arise however they can be dealt with and turned from a negative to a positive. Hybrid learning that took place this year in 2021 has taught us a lot. First anything is possible, with the internet. Next, it gave an idea of how much students really knew and how much they could create digitally especially if it were to be a project. Communication between parents and co workers became so simple, it is easy to accept technology in the classroom and integrate for the success of the students.

The integration of technology is an essential aspect of the education system of our country. This factor has been dramatically successful in the better learning of our students. Everyone would agree that most schools would have remained closed without technology in the education system during the pandemic (Thorns, 2021). These factors revolve around the fact that technology integration has been incredibly beneficial in the education sector. Ensuring that students attain problem-solving skills, primarily through computers, has been one of the main aspects of integrating the technology plan (Gibbs et al., 2018). With all these factors involved, it is my great wish to welcome all the readers to today’s blog and hopes that the importance of technology integration and its benefits will be covered extensively.

           As mentioned above, technology integration was first introduced to help students earn basic problem-solving skills through technology. This aspect considerably grew to include more online and digital learning processes and learning modes (Germany, 2015). Based on these factors, it is okay to assume that technology in the education system is incredibly adaptive. This is due to various variables, one of which is that this trait is highly valued in the educational field. The world, in general, is changing, and schools must be able to teach the learners all the aspects that are changing. This factor will create a generation that is ready for the future and will use technology to its advantage.

           Another critical aspect of technology integration concerns the nation’s general well-being (Mandal, 2019). Being able to obtain the skills needed to solve issues and challenges in the community is why students go to school. The inclusion of technology in the learning process ensures the students can use these concepts to solve the challenges in the community (Soujah, 2014). Being able to solve the challenges or issues in the community through technology is more efficient and faster. This factor shows a great benefit of the integration of technology into the education system. Having sharp-minded students who can utilize technology in moments of crisis is a generation that we would all want as the next leaders and community members tomorrow.

           Access to materials has been significantly simplified through technology (Waxman et al., 2015). Long ago, most resources were only in hard copy, which made most students not have the chance to obtain this information (Was, n.d.). Technology in schools has ensured that soft copy resources are readily available for all students. The internet is also a great resource at students’ disposal, which also helps in the learning process (Gibbs et al., 2018). These days, teachers and lecturers can conduct lectures online in the comfort of their homes. An example is this blog, the contents are immensely beneficial, and most students will have access to it due to its availability on the internet. I would agree that the aspect of the integration of technology has dramatically made teaching students very efficient.

           In conclusion, we have seen that technology in schools has a lot of advantages. Based on these advantages, I would urge every administrator for schools to integrate technology in their schools. A single blog cannot mention the importance of technology in education, and based on the above examples, it is beneficial and essential. I believe that more schools should thus integrate technology into their systems. Teaching students more about technology ensures the entire world focuses on advancing in the aspects of technology. Concentrate on the advantages of technology in schools, and it is also clear that resources will be saved, thus ensuring a rise in the economy. These are some of the importance of integrating technology, which pushes everyone to play their part to ensure schools’ success.

References

Germany, J. (2015). Timely Integration: Sociocultural Issues That Influence Technology Integration in Childhood Development. The International Journal Of Technology, Knowledge, And Society, 9(4), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.18848/1832-3669/cgp/v09i04/56408

Gibbs, M., Dosen, A., & Guerrero, R. (2018). Technology in Catholic Schools: Are Schools Using the Technology They Have?. Journal Of Catholic Education, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.15365/joce.1202052018

Mandal, R. (2019). Importance of Technology in Managing Schools. Journal Of Advanced Research In English & Education, 03(04), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.24321/2456.4370.201809

Soujah, S. (2014). Technology Integration in Schools Is We Overinvested and Underprepared?. International Journal Of Information And Education Technology, 4(5), 444-447. https://doi.org/10.7763/ijiet.2014.v4.447

Thorns, P. (2021). Editorial: Design implications of a global pandemic. Lighting Research & Technology, 53(2), 95-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/14771535211000140

Was, C. Has Technology Saved Our Schools? Will Technology Save Our Schools? Can Technology Save Our Schools?. Psyccritiques, 54(1). https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013694

Waxman, H., Boriack, A., Lee, Y., & MacNeil, A. (2015). Principals’ Perceptions of the Importance of Technology in Schools. Contemporary Educational Technology, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtechnology/6102

The essential goal of our technological issues within the classroom should be to prepare our students mindset to improve their standardize test scores. We ask ourselves if the current resources we have regarding technology use is effective or ineffective when it comes to student achievement. So, I researched an article on “Educational Technology Research Past and Present: Balancing Rigor and Relevance to Impact School Learning”. The overview of this article grasps our attention in regard to the analytical perspective of how students lag in classroom achievement, learning and memory strategies that affect their cognitive academic learning abilities. Thus, the concern is the decline in the quantity of the usage of computer base tools that draws the student interest to specific context and descriptive approaches to learning. When we immerse this point it precludes that there is a gap in the trends of educational technology. Therefore, the question we must answer is how are we going to keep up with the future direction of technology in our classrooms? The only people that can really answer this question is administrator(s), teacher(s), along with parent(s) engagement.

Ross & Lowther (2009) states, “Educational technology is an intervention strategy that has a variety of modalities, tools and effectiveness that depends on how well teachers apply curriculum strategies to instructional goals” (Morrison 2001; Ross &Lowther 2005, p. 19). Listen technology is a not a fade that changes each generation it is a tool that provides digital quality that most of our students consider it as an adaptable environment that makes them digital natives. So, it is our responsibility as administrators and teachers to assist our students and equip them with resources that are comparable with Computer Assisted Instruction. You may ask how is this method implemented from a teacher standpoint? This program provides tutorial lessons that assist the student with adapting to material that brings life back to academic organizational planning. Teachers we can remember when there were no technical resources for students to visually see how the lessons were being taught. Then interactive whiteboards became part of preloaded lessons that made students more engaged by seeing videos, images, and words through a computer.

However, the present use of the integration of technology can improve student learning by the following:

1. Teachers can generate test that has more complex models and study guides that student can refine their homework resources by using resources such as improved apps and programs that increase academic learning.
2. Classroom time can be remarkably improved by blending online learning with face-to face instructional deliberation in which today we utilize such as Zoom and Google classrooms.

Here are some few examples of effective technology that focus on how teachers can stay engaged to teach. In addition, teachers need to increase their engagement when it comes to cyber safety and the students appropriate use of technology.  Brian Host (2019) author of “Does Using Technology in the Classroom Improves Student Outcomes” states, “Integration of technology is achieved when transparency supports curricular goals”. To engage parents along with academic strategies teachers will be able to receive personalize feedback in a timely manner. This feedback can be received by social media messages allowing students to exchange ideas about their academic learning experiences. Since there is so much cyber invasions within our communities it is our responsibility as leaders to allow our students to feel safe. This action can also allow parents to stay connected regarding their children grades, attendance, and classroom behavior.  As administrators we do realize that parents struggle to access their children homework by technology use, but we can keep our students motivated about learning through personalize sites such a Khan Academy, Quizlet that entails immediate feedback for statistical data reporting. Therefore, we must adopt the improvement of technology by allowing teachers, students and parents to make a sound investment in virtual academic achievement.

References:

Ross, S., Morrison, G., & Lowther, D. (2010). Educational Technology Research Past and Present: Balancing Rigor and Relevance to Impact School Learning. Contemporary Educational Technology.

Host, B. (2019). Does Using Technology in the Classroom Improves Student Outcomes. www.educationtechnologysolutions.com

For years now, teachers have heard the rumbling of the need to use and integrate technology into the classroom but many have been hesitant or even unwilling to try until now. The Covid-19 pandemic placed technology in the forefront of all educators forcing them to sink or swim in the new technological classroom settings. Questions that I heard from most teachers during workshops ranged from how would students use the technology to how can students be assessed and held accountable for work. The wide range of questions clearly showed that the hesitation in most teachers did not stem from an unwillingness but from a lack of understanding of how it would work and the uncertainty of whether or not they would be able to effectively use it. This crash course in technology due to the pandemic proved necessary and with proper planning as well as a collaborative approach proved to be successful to some degree.

Using my school as an example, we literally experienced a crash course but focused on small steps that we were able to build upon. We used basic ideas of how to use the technology in the classroom based on some ideas from teacherthought.com. Some of the ideas that we worked on were as follows: Creating online polls and quizzes, video conferencing, multimedia projects, using video content, and making it fun and letting students play (Blower, 2019). In order to cover these topics, we took advantage of the school closures on part time online teaching to address the teachers concerns and create workshops that would address these different ideas to be implemented.

Once brick and mortar schools closed and virtual learning was implemented, our teachers would submit and interact with students in the morning and then undergo collaborative training in the afternoon. Teachers were paired into groups that had a mixed level of technological experience ranging from novice to experienced. One of the first things we addressed was how to meet and interact with our students effectively. Using Google Suites, we ourselves integrated Google Meet as our form of meeting and interacting with the students while giving instruction. Meeting as a staff daily, in this manner, allowed for all the teachers to become familiar with the platform and made the transition to the classroom easier. The next area to tackle was how to assess and hold students accountable in the classroom. We continued using Google Suites by having teachers express their ideas on collaborative documents using Google Docs and Google Forms. Teachers would be asked to create and contribute to different documents regarding ideas on how to instruct students and what kind of assessments to use. They would also create and complete surveys on what they believed would be more effective and what their concerns were. Using Docs and Forms gave the teachers the comfort and experience to use them in the classroom. They were now able to create and administer assessments as well as create assignments for students to work on and submit. All of this could be used in conjunction with Google Classroom, where teachers would now be able to submit assignments, create due dates, and even grade the assignments as they were turned in. The digital classroom was becoming a reality in an extremely short period of time and teachers that would have never touched a computer in the classroom were now becoming dependent on them.

Some teachers were concerned about student social/emotional development while they were isolated in their homes. The collaborative forum we had implemented allowed us to brainstorm ideas of how to leave time in our digital classrooms for students to interact as well as collaborate themselves. Breakout sessions were added to class time allowing students to interact with each other and even play online games together, allowing them to be kids and have fun. Online educational games allowed for this but for the most part we allowed them to be kids and enjoy their time together online in short bursts.

This pandemic accelerated the need for technology in the classroom and forced teachers to face their fears and insecurities of how they could be effective in an environment they were not familiar with. Remember that teachers, in general, want to be good effective teachers and need to have their tools in order to do so. Most teachers are reluctant to use tools they are unfamiliar with but if the same tools are integrated by the administration in order to conduct faculty meetings and workshops, these teachers would feel more confident with the tools and be more likely to use them in the classroom.

Written by Danny Fernandez


Reference:
Blower, S. (2019, May 22). 6 Technology Integration Ideas For Any Content Area And Grade Level. TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/technology/6-technology-integration-ideas-content-area-grade-level/.