Using Technology Effectively

Our school is piloting a 1:1 Chromebook program and everyone is excited! If you didn't already, you now have the opportunity to incorporate some really outstanding learning opportunities for your students. If you have had access to Chromebooks, you know there are many ways to incorporate this technology into your classroom. So now seems like the appropriate time to remind teachers (and myself) about how to effectively use technology your classroom. 

Stay Focused on the Teaching

Using technology in the classroom should not center around the technology, but rather, it should center around content, pedagogy, and best practices. For example, we should not approach a unit/project/lesson/activity (UPLA) thinking "I want to use "X" piece of technology or software, how can I fit it into this UPLA?" Instead we should approach any UPLA thinking "I need my students to learn "ABC" and demonstrate "XYZ", what is the best way for them to learn and demonstrate these? How and what technology can enhance this learning and demonstration?"

If we focus our planning around the second approach, we will find ourselves best utilizing technology in our classroom. And yes, this means that sometimes it might mean making the decision to NOT use technology in the UPLA.

What to Consider

Keep in mind our core focus; The BEST use of technology in the classroom. This happens when it enhances content, not just replaces previous non digital instruction. When you are deciding if you should update an activity with something digital you might take a second and ask yourself:

• Does the technology provide the opportunity for students to see/hear/share a different perspective?
• Does the technology increase interaction with the content
• Does the technology facilitate or enhance student collaboration?
• Does the technology bring the students into the real world, or bring the real world into the classroom?
  
  

If you find yourself answering yes to these types of questions then you should probably dive in and start stretching your teaching practices and give it a try.

If you are answering no to these questions, then you should determine if the technology makes the learning process easier for you or the students. Again, if it makes the process of learning easier (easier to grade, faster to give timely feedback, easier to collect work, etc...), then it is probably worth giving it a try.

However, if the technology neither enhances your content or makes life easier, then don't force the technology. Continue to use the teaching skills and practices you have developed over a career of teaching.

It's Not Just the Technology

A colleague of my once wrote an article that sticks with me when thinking about teachers and how they use technology in class. He wrote that,

"Any given piece of technology on its own isn’t effective or not effective. Whether technology is effective or not depends as much on its application as the technology itself. It depends on the teacher and the students and the class."  

He continued,

"Our focus should not be to use technology in a substitutive manner in which we are doing the same things in a somewhat better way. Instead we should focus first on doing better things, which will lead us to explore more transformative uses of technology."

Embrace Technology

This is an exciting time for us and our students can really benefit from our effort to best utilize this technology. If you don't feel ready to try some of the new technology applications that I share with you in the classroom, then let me know and I will be happy to work with you to get you going. In the meantime, I recommend trying any of the following to enhance your technology skills: 

• Attend professional development opportunities that increase your skill with these tools and applications.
• Apply these tools and applications in a limited manner as you gain experience and expertise.
• Participate on Twitter, start a blog, read a bunch of blogs, participate in online discussions and subscribe to email lists to accelerate your knowledge of these tools and applications.
• Observe skilled practitioners of these tools and techniques, find a coach to observe you, welcome feedback from everyone
  
  

I challenge you all to continue to grow as an educator by continuing to change your educational practices with a variety of new, innovative, and engaging learning strategies that Chromebooks afford us. As always, please reach out if you need any help at all.

JA

Sources and Further Reading:

Himmelsbach, V. (July, 2019) Technology in the Classroom in 2019. Retrieved from https://tophat.com/blog/6-pros-cons-technology-classroom/

Schmit, G. (October, 2011) The Danger of Misapplying Powerful Tools. Retrieved from http://pedagoguepadawan.net/152/dangerofmisapplyingpowerfultools/

Schmit, G. (August, 2013) We Don't Need a Technology Integration Team. Retrieved from http://pedagoguepadawan.net/289/we-dont-need-a-technology-integration-team/

Selway, M. (June, 2019) Tech Flop: When Not To Use Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://ww2.kqed.org/education/2019/06/11/tech-flop-when-not-to-use-technology-in-the-classroom/