Essential Information Everyone Should Know about Ed Tech

Here are a few essentials that I think parents and the school board should know about educational technology:

Technology does not replace teaching.

It’s a common concern, and I hear it from parents and teachers alike.  Teachers are afraid that MOOCs (Massive Online Only Classes) and podcasts will put them out of a job or force them into a strictly supervisory role, thereby robbing them of the opportunity to serve as mentor or create the personal relationships that allow them to foster in their students a true passion for learning.  Parents are afraid that teachers will use technology to teach the class for them and leave students to stare at a screen in an impersonal environment where they struggle through the content by themselves.  Although it is true that almost every essential concept included in a typical K-12 education is available in some format online, we cannot simply plug a student into a computer and download that information into their minds in such a way that the students are able to make use of that information. Even in a highly integrated 1:1 classroom, the role of technology is to enhance the lessons, not replace the teacher.  Studies show that “structure and leadership were found to be crucial for online learners to take a deep and meaningful approach to learning,” [D. R.Garrison, M. Cleveland-Innes (2005), Facilitating Cognitive Presence in Online Learning: Interaction Is Not Enough, American Journal of Distance Education Vol. 19, Iss. 3,].  Teachers spend countless hours locating or creating content that is explained in an age-appropriate manner.  They develop activities that enable their students to cement their learning through doing.  They encourage students to think critically, to ask questions, to investigate the answers to these questions, and to verify the accuracy of the answers they find.  Teachers identify and correct misconceptions, help students to make connections between related concepts, and show them ways to share their learning with others.  Technology helps teachers to do this.  Tools such as games and quizzes can provide instant feedback so that students can avoid practicing skills incorrectly.  Videos, podcasts, forums, group source projects, and Webquests allow teachers to convey information in a variety of methods so they can address multiple types of learners.  Menus of activity options and modules that unlock based on formative assessments can allow teachers to offer remediation without embarrassment and to differentiate according to the interests and abilities of individual students.  Technology allows teachers to deliver content in a meaningful and engaging manner; it doesn’t do it for them.

Technology connects.

Research has shown that students learn better when they understand how the material they are studying relates to the world outside of the classroom [Novak, J. D. (2002), Meaningful learning: The essential factor for conceptual change in limited or inappropriate propositional hierarchies leading to empowerment of learners. Sci. Ed., 86: 548–571. doi: 10.1002/sce.10032].  Technology allows students to interview specialists in various fields, gain practical experience communicating in new languages, work to solve real world problems through project-based learning and group source sites, share their work with others, critique and respond to works that others have shared, and take virtual tours of locations in all parts of the world –even locations that are literally out of this world.  Participation in these experiences provides students with a personal connection to the skills they are learning and the materials they are studying.  Students are no longer reviewing information only because “it’s on the test”.  They are applying their knowledge because it matters.  Technology allows us to connect the lessons of the classroom to the real world.

Technology engages. 

Technology allows students to spend more time working individually with new concepts and material.  In a 1:1 classroom, it is not necessary for a student to wait his/her turn for a station before applying recently learned information or practicing a new skill.  It no longer necessary for a teacher to rely on a few volunteers, because an online survey or clicker system can instantly collect a response from each student.  It is no longer necessary for students to wait for the majority of the class to be ready before progressing, and it is no longer necessary for students to leave projects incomplete just because the majority of the class was able to progress more quickly.  Technology can be used to replace passive activities with active learning.  Rather than only watching videos, students can create videos.  Rather than read about scientists, students can interact with scientists.  Rather than fill in worksheets, students can play games.  Students that are engaged not only gain a deeper understanding and improved retention; they have more fun, too!

All too often I hear traditionalists complain, “If the old way was good enough for me, and my father before me, and my grandfather before him, it’s good enough for my kid, too!  My kid spends too much time just staring at a screen already!”  While it is true that the old methods still do work, I hope that these explanations can help parents and teachers understand a few of the reasons that educational technology can and should be a part of every classroom.