Tech trends article 2

EDU 6250 Article 2

This article describes some of the many obstacles we may come across with our advancements in educational technology.  It focuses on factors that are more in the educational environment control.  Assuming we are prepared with computers, networks, and software, there are many other factors to take into consideration when preparing for utilizing technology.  Labs, classrooms, and other facilities must be well designed to get the most out of the A/V equipment.  Some factors to think about are lighting, room darkening needs, and noise abatement for good acoustical qualities.  One also needs to think about the maintenance needs of these rooms with all of the technology in them.  The more technology in the room, the more dust seems to accumulate.  Maintenance needs to be regular as to not interrupt classroom time.  Batteries must be replaced, spare bulbs must be readily available, and dusting must happen regularly.  Some labs are too cluttered with technology and don’t have room for people to work.  There are also labs that are outdated and need to be updated.  All classrooms will need to be equipped with technology in the near future and only then can faculty needs be met.

Another issue is the training of faculty to use the technology.  From basic software to realizing the capabilities of technology, faculty need training in these areas.  Students and faculty lack the basic skills of acting for the camera and speaking for the microphone.  Teachers also don’t use technology because of inadequately equipped rooms.  Those that do have technology don’t always have the resources to perform their tasks.  Another issue technology brings is the issue of copying and plagiarising digital material.  

I like how this article brought out points that one doesn’t typically think about.  There are so many maintenance needs when it comes to being able to utilize technology.  As a teacher that has access to technology I have always taken it for granted that everything such as the ELMO projectors, LCD projector, and network are going to work.  You make it engrained in your teaching that it will work and then some get frustrated when it doesn’t.  We had a huge overhaul in our building to meet networking needs this year and it has made a world of difference and increased the seamlessness of instruction for me as an educator.  Thank goodness for a great maintenance staff.  

The idea of faculty not being trained in utilizing the technology has also resonated with me.  When we first moved to google in our district, I was very ill-equipped with using the technology and saw it as more of an annoyance to use the technology.  It wasn’t until I took a couple classes that moved slow enough for me to gain an understanding of how I could use these tools that it was actually effective for me.  This year is the first time I have felt comfortable using the many features of google and been able to enhance the organization and instructional capabilities in the courses I teach.  

T.W. (2005). Low-Tech and Non-Tech Obstacles to Information Technology. Eduexec, 24(10),

1-7.

Calculator Equipment Review

The Calculator

Tech Trends Article 1

This article describes 5 Educational Technology Tools that the author finds to be on their way out and cooling down in the educational world.  The author focused on the following: bans on cell phones, Common Core, flipped learning, homework and grading, and the use of tablets.  Besides these topics the author points out that arts education and blended learning are going into hibernation along with 1:1, gaming, and growth mindset.

The ban of cell phones has become a ludicrous idea in the classroom.  This is the tool we use today to find information at our fingertips.  It doesn’t make any sense to not use it in the classroom.  The concept of Common Core is also slowing down just like all of the political buzzwords.  The politicians are not supporting it and most states are doing away with it.  The flipped classroom is slowing down much due to the uncertainty in it’s effectiveness.  They point out that there is conflicting research on how well it works.  Some studies show it works well, some show it is not statistically significant, and others show it actually hurts a student’s learning.  Another problem is that not every student has access to the technology for this means to be effective.  

Another idea cooling down is homework and grading.  This is due to the fact of busy schedules for students and parents affecting time constraints, and also parents ability to be able to help students at home.  Grading has changed with the move to developing understanding and progressing through formative assessments and being graded on more of a final product.  Tablets have also gone cold because they are not so exciting for students any more.  Students want the next big thing.  Other ideas mentioned were one to one devices along with gaming and growth mindset.  

The first thing I thought about when hearing about these ‘cooling off’ ideas was how I am just starting to try them out myself.  My school just went 1 to 1 this year and now that every student has accessibility to the web I am trying out many of the new google tools and starting to try the blended classroom.  I would never go to a completely flipped classroom, but the blended classroom has already allowed me to provide so much more accessibility to students and be much more productive during class time answering questions.  

I would agree with these experts that these technologies are slowing down, but I like the term being more like hibernation.  I find that there is so much out there with technology and it is growing so fast that there is not enough time for many teachers or school districts to keep up with it for many reasons and many outside of their control.  This is why I think many schools and teachers just need time to catch up to be able to get the most effective use of the technology in their classroom.  As the flipped classroom research pointed out, it can go very well, stay the same, or actually hurt student’s learning based on how the technological idea is used.  

Schaffhauser, D. (2017). 5 Ed Tech Trends on the Way Out in 2017. T H E Journal, 44(2), 14.