Using Technology to Enhance What We Want for Our Students

On page 30, question 6 states: " Educational technology historian Paul Saettler (1990) said "Computer information systems are not just objective recording devices. They also reflect concepts, hopes, beliefs, attitudes" (p. 539).

Post your thoughts about how you think these "concepts, hopes, beliefs, and attitudes" are reflected in our current approach to educational technology. What do you think our use of technology in schools is saying about what we want for our students and society?

Discuss the our past and current uses of technology education reflection.

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Paul Saettler (1990, p.539 as cited in Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p.30) suggests that "Computer information systems are not just objective recording devices. They also reflect concepts, hopes, beliefs, attitudes." Computers and technology have seen great development over time, which reflects how they are used within an educational setting. Computers in education has evolved from something explored by few in university settings to becoming mobile devices that are accessible to the masses. The importance of computer literacy skills began to evolve in the microcomputer era, suggesting the importance of developing skills and understanding of the technologies being used (Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p. 7). From there, technology became a means of connecting with others through the internet era, while also having a plethora of technological resources available at your fingertips while investigating online for information. As technology further developed into the world of mobile devices, accessibility became more readily available (Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p. 9). Most adolescents now have devices that they can use for educational or personal enjoyment. Because of this, learning could access more resources for learning in the forms of e-books, distance education and social networking. With all of this information and experts so accessible, the student needs to learn how to filter what they are viewing and critically analyses the information in a digital age.

The way we use technology in our schools now can vary from school to school, from country to country depending on the resources and philosophies of teaching. In my experience, technology is used as part of the teaching and learning process and should not be thought of as a separate component from it. Students now have the opportunity with Web 2.0 to not only read but also write and create what is online. Thus, technology provides students a means to showcase their individual creativity as they differentiate how they express their learning.

I believe technology is used in the classroom as a way to develop transdisciplinary skills that will last beyond the classroom and into the real world. The Internationale Baccalaureate suggests there are six ICT skills that should be included in the written, taught and assessed curriculum (ICT in the PYP, p.2). These include investigating, organizing, creating, communicating, collaborating and becoming a digital citizen. No longer is the focus on specific content but rather, how the content is obtained, used and manipulated to demonstrate, challenge and extend the learning of the students. Through the development of these skills, students develop their creative and critical thinking, allowing them to take their understanding of concepts to greater depth. Technology should be used in a purposeful and meaningful way to help students make connections, see things from different perspectives and be used as a means of reflection in their learning journey.

References 

Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2014). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching: International Edition, 6th Edition, Pearson.

The role of ICT in PYP. (2011). International Baccalaureate. UK: IB. 

Reading & Notetaking

I find I am quite a fast reader when I read for pleasure. However, when I am reading for understanding, as I am for academic studies, I am much slower. I spend a lot of time flipping back and forth between the articles and a Google Doc where I take my notes. I find taking my notes as I read most effective and then will review and reflect after I have read the article. I also realized I used the SQ3R reading strategy without even realizing it. Primarily as I read for an academic purpose I focus on the learning outcomes as my ‘questions’ and try to answer them throughout my reading and review as necessary. I find I can only read for about 30 minutes before I need a break. One strategy I try to use is read for 25, break for 5 minutes. This allows me to extend my total length of reading and studying time. 

As I read a text, I focus primarily on the comprehension of the text. It is not until the review and reflection time that I begin to explore analyzing, interpreting and evaluating the text. These components are done more so in my reflective blogs and discussions.
When I am reading a textbook for a course, I try to improve my knowledge of the vocabulary by making a glossary in addition to my notes. Often the keywords are bolded so I scan through the chapter and write down all the words that are bolded. Then I go to the back of the textbook and look up the definitions of the words. I find this to be helpful so I have a developed schema before I read the chapter. This strategy allows me to read through the chapter with a higher level of understanding and less frustration trying to figure out what is meant by certain terminology. It also allows me the ability to quickly reference terminology I forget the meaning of. 

When I do brainstorming (specifically in my class), we always agree that there are no bad ideas. The point of brainstorming is to gather as many ideas as possible. We use post it notes and have 1 idea per post it and then try to categorize them if possible after. I find the tangible post-its help me to get excited about generating many ideas. Sometimes it is more difficult to make the connections and categorize them after the ideas. 

I had not used the Cornell method before, though found it similar to the way I do my notes with bullets. I use headers and indents with my bullet points to help me organise my notes online. I feel the two strategies are connected because the first column in the Cornell method would be a normal bullet point and the second column in the Cornell would be an indented bullet point. For me the flow of working down the page is easier than going left to right with the Cornell method. The other benefit about taking my notes online is that I can insert links to other sites or articles directly in my notes for future reference. 

As I take notes from articles, I always include the APA referencing of the article so I can access it easily in the future. I sometime struggle with writing page numbers for every note I make throughout the article. However, I do know I can easily go back and search the article to find the point again if I need it.

Strategies have been taken from Charles Sturt University Study Skills Guides (https://cms.csu.edu.au/student/study/skills/guidesandtips/study-skills) : 

-reading strategies 

-critical thinking 

-brainstorming and mindmapping

-notetaking while reading