Educational Technology Issues

Educational Technology Issues EDU 707 12/9/2012 Central Michigan University Jaclyn Hirschfield

Introduction This paper focuses on current issues faced in education today with relation to technology. There are so many things available to our students with an increase in technology and it is important for teachers to make sure equal opportunities are provided for all, students are taught appropriate behaviors online, students are protected from the harms of online behaviors, and more. Technology is ever increasing and many issues arise with newer tools coming out and the opportunities provided for students.

Access for All I think it is a difficult task to ensure that the disabled and disadvantaged have access to technology.

Students at a disadvantage don’t always have access to computers and the Internet while they are at home, making it hard to complete tasks requiring some sort of technology. While the students are in school they have access to the technology available there, which some schools and districts are limited in that area, as well. It is true that public libraries, coffee shops, restaurants and other places have free Wi-Fi that these students can access but this takes time out of the students’ day to go to another place to complete work requiring technology. Schools can apply for grants to help increase the available technology tools within the school so all students have the opportunity to access technology. It seems to me that disabled students may have a harder time gaining access to technology depending on their disabilities. Some of my students need enlarged copies of handouts/assignments, etc. and computer screens and iPad screens are relatively small. There are ways to enlarge the print on the screen but this is an extra task to make sure the students know how to accomplish that task. In the article it stated that trainings can be offered so students know how to use technology tools and know where they can go to receive different services. This is a start in helping disabled students and students at a disadvantage so they have equal access to technology.

Effective Use of Technology Ensuring technology is used effectively in the classroom is a big issue today. I’ve seen many teachers find websites where students can play games to reinforce skills and think this is beneficial because they are incorporating technology. One of the ideas that stood out to me from the article by Linda Burkhart was to put the student in control. Having activities, lessons, assignments etc. where the student is working and guiding themselves can be very beneficial and is one way to ensure the student is engaged in what they are working on. By allowing the students to work and be in control of their learning is a great way to effectively use technology because it allows each student to learn a pace he or she can keep up with.

This will permit struggling students to work at a slower pace while proficient students can accelerate at a pace with which they are more comfortable. Also, providing options for the students when using technology are a way to help put the child in control of their own learning; increasing his or her engagement in the lesson.

Teachers also need to be trained properly in order to provide the best technological experiences in the classroom. I think the teachers who are not fully comfortable using technology themselves typically have students play games or find other activities that aren’t necessarily meaningful. This is one of the most important best practices in my opinion because what good is technology if we don’t know how to use it?

Teachers need multiple professional development trainings to learn how to use different pieces of technology and how to properly use these resources in the classroom.

Academic Integrity and Technology I am shocked at the number of ways students will attempt to cheat on tests! The YouTube video was a new way of cheating to me and seems like an awful lot of work just to put some notes onto a bottle label. You would think that the time it takes to scan in the label, edit the information, print, and glue could be used to actually study for the test…

In my classroom students are not allowed to have anything on their desks when taking a test, including water bottles, folders, books, etc. Our school also has a no cell phone policy so students know if I see or find their cell phone I will take it and hold onto it until their parents come to pick it up. When we take tests in the classroom I also spread my students out around the room so they are not able to look at a classmate’s test. There are obviously tons of ways students can go about cheating on tests, and technology has increased those opportunities. My school and students have limited access to technology both in and out of school so there aren’t many opportunities for my kids to cheat using technology. Later on in the school year my students will be doing a research paper and I plan to stress the importance of academic integrity and being honest because when students cheat on tests or assignments they are only cheating themselves. Students are getting extremely clever at finding new and unique ways to cheat on tests. Teachers should be walking around the classroom monitoring students work when tests are being taken to help students understand the importance of academic integrity.

Professional Development and Technology Receiving new classroom technology tools is very exciting – when you know how to use them. Teachers are often thrilled at the thought of getting new tools to use in the classroom that can benefit their students, however little to no training is given on how to effectively use tools in the classroom. At the beginning of the year some teachers in my building received Bright Links boards and were given a short professional development on how to use these boards. My principal just received a grant and will be able to purchase four more boards. I am one of the teachers receiving a board and will not have access to trainings for this tool. I feel confident using technology in the classroom and believe I will be able to figure out how to use my new board to benefit my students. On the other hand, two of the other teachers receiving these boards barely feel comfortable using their computers. It is great that we are

given these tools to use in the classroom, but the probability of using technology effectively is very minimal for some teachers.

In order to make sure teachers are properly integrating technology into the classroom, trainings and professional development must be provided. It is not feasible for administrators to assume teachers already know how to use certain tools in the classroom or expect them to figure it out for themselves. I still think that there are teachers who will struggle to implement technology into their classrooms even with proper training, but we need to be given the opportunity to succeed with the tools presented to us.

What Teachers Need to Know About Technology I believe the report’s findings to be true; students are deeply impacted by their classroom teacher.

Students today may be brought up with more technology tools and may have a better understanding of some types of technology than their teacher, but I think it is the teacher who truly guides the student in developing critical 21st century skills. It is essential for the teacher to make sure technology is being used effectively to help students become information seekers, problem solvers, communicators, etc. By providing technology experiences that help our students grow, we are helping them become better prepared for the future. This may mean some educators need to step out of their comfort zone to become more familiar with different types of technology, but it is a necessity if we want our students to succeed in the competitive workforce.

I think we need to focus on getting our students to become collaborative learners and communicators. I know many students do not like working as part of a group because they feel that not everybody contributes as much as others. I think this is a skill that our students need to learn in order to be successful in their career. Technology is a great way to help students learn to work as a team and to develop necessary communication skills needed for the future. All teachers need to find ways to effectively integrate technology into the classroom to promote future learning and help our students develop skills to make them successful.

Social Networking One of the most important things where the Internet is involved is making sure our students are safe.

There are always possibilities of cyber bullying when we use social networking sites and it is imperative to make sure our students are protected. The article talked about many teachers and schools using different social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to connect to students and parents and many found this to be a great thing. The students were engaged because this is a major part of how they communicate with others in today’s society. If these sites are being used in the classroom I believe it is the teacher’s job to make sure the students’ online activity is being monitored. If teachers and administrators are allowing their students to interact with others around the world, they need to be certain the students are protected. In the classroom, teachers are able to monitor what their students

are doing online and teach them about the dangers of cyber bullying which will hopefully keep students out of harm’s way. At home, however, I believe parents should be mindful of what their kids are doing online in order to keep them safe.

The Internet has so much to offer and gives everyone access to a myriad of things. Based on the article I believe there are plenty of great things available to help students succeed and grow when used properly. However, there are downsides to such access on the World Wide Web. Students can be exposed to inappropriate material if they are not cautious of what they are searching for. Students need to be taught about the dangers of online predators and need to be smart when using social networking sites, as well as informational sites. If students are not aware of possible online threats they could end up getting hurt, which is why it is so important for parents and teachers to monitor all Internet activity. I also believe students have become too dependent upon search engines and do not always think for themselves. Some skills needed for the future are not being developed because students are relying too much on the Internet to solve their problems.

Classroom Ethics Ethics plays a large role in the classroom, and I think this is something teachers need to be more mindful of. As with cheating on tests, students need to be taught about ethics and what is right and wrong. In the eyes of some it may seem pretty self-explanatory to only turn in your own work, but this is not always the case. I think part of the problem may be that teachers not be all too familiar with the copyright laws. According to the article “The Educator’s Guide to Copyright and Fair Use,” many teachers use pictures, graphs, songs, etc. in daily lessons without realizing that they are breaking copyright laws. If we want to teach our students about ethics, we need to make sure we are setting examples for our students and acting as role models. Students need to be taught exactly how to follow copyright laws and need to understand the importance of giving credit for someone’s work. Many may not think to give credit when using a picture found on the internet or adding in music to a PowerPoint presentation which is why it is so important for teachers to actually teach their students about ethics.

When technology is being used teachers need to pay close attention to their students’ online activity.

Teaching about ethics needs to be done at an early age and reinforced each year.

References “The Educator’s Guide to Copyright and Fair Use.” <http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml> 4 Dec 2012