TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
Technology in Education
Rosalyn A. Ajoste
University of North Texas
Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………3
Digital Divide………………………………………………………………………….3
Digital Communications……………………………………………………………..4
Effective Instruction…………………………………………………………………..5
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….……7
References………………………………………………………………………....…8
Introduction
Technology is an essential part of today’s educational systems. In fact, education reform mandates that all schools perform at or above grade level by 2014 or face repercussions. The intent of former President Bush’s No Child Left Behind mandate is positive, but the pressure on the country’s schools and educational leaders has led to a mad dash to find the right tool to produce gains in student achievement. Research has shown that direct teaching of technology skills is one reason for improved overall scores. With regard to determining whether students comprehended lesson objectives, Christine Anderson writes in “Using Web 2.0 Tools for Feedback in the Classroom” (2012), “Technology offers educators a way to receive that immediate feedback, which is critical to changing instructional practices and increasing student achievement” (p.21). A look at the latest Web 2.0 reveals that schools that utilize technology in the classroom to the highest degree reap the benefit of improved academic performance. The impact of Web 2.0 tools is best understood in the context of digital natives, digital communications, and teacher effectiveness in instruction.
Digital Natives
This is the 21st century. Today’s students are digital natives i,e, their personal and social interactions depend on technology. One rarely sees a youth without some kind of electronic device in hand (cell phone, ipod, ipad, e-reader, etc.). Not only are they passive recipients of digital information, but according to John Thompson in “Don’t Be Afraid to Explore Web 2.0” (2008), “content on the Internet is no longer static; it is changing and dynamic…anybody (even a fifth-grader) can create and upload text, as well as audio and video” (p.711). Web 2.0 technology refers to a major upgrade from Web 1.0 (read-only) to Web 2.0 (read/write); the emphasis is on user participation to the extent that the average Internet user can contribute from any locale (Thompson, 2008, p. 711).
Differences in accessibility must be account for. The digital divide, or the difference between those with access to technology and those without, is still a very real thing. Developing nations have a much lower percentage of technology access that those in highly industrialized countries. The idea of digital natives is simply a blanket statement for the particular generation as whole, but it doesn’t account for poverty-stricken areas. Peter R. Albion writes in “Web 2.0 in Teacher Education: Two Imperatives for Action” that the World Wide Web has “evolved from a method for sharing text and occasional images within the privileged academic environment to the everyday means for sharing text, images, audio, and video among people around the world” (p. 181).
Digital Communications
The struggle to “transform schools of industrial age classrooms to 21st-century learning environments where modern pedagogy and technology engage students in successful learning journeys…requires solid communication strategies and smart use of effective tools” (Soule, 2008, p.12). Web 2.0 tools offer the external and internal support that schools need to gather support from all stakeholders (parents, teachers, students, administrators, community). In this age of public transparency, trust depends on the clear communication and openness; once the stakeholders literally see what is happening in the schools, they will be able to ascertain how to be a help. Michelle Rogers-Estable in “Web 2.0 and Distance Education: Tools and Techniques” provides great descriptions and examples of great Web 2.0 tools that include blogs, podcasts, online surveys, video conferences, websites, emails, newsletters, voice-over technology (Skype, VoiceThread, wikis, social bookmarking sites, social networking sites, and social graphics sites, and RSS feeds) (p. 56-59). In fact, she credits the Open Source Initiative (OSI) of 2009 and the Creative Commons (CC) project as two major movements within the transition to Web 2.0. Knowledge of these technologies is guaranteed to close the gap between teachers and their tech-savvy students. Parents too may participate by leaving comments on the sites, teaching students more about responsibility and accountability in regard to internet technology (Rogers-Estable, 2009, p. 60).
Another development in Web 2.0 technology according to Nina Bonderup Dohn in “Web 2.0: Inherent Tensions and Evident Challenges for Education” (2009) is the shift from “information sharing to focusing on the establishment and negotiation of personal identity and social relations and, generally, on participation for the sake of participation itself” (p.344). Web 2.0 tools in and of themselves are engaging and full of didactic potential i.e. they contain element of participation, collaboration, production, and dialogue (Dohn, 2009, p.344).
Effective Instruction
As Web 2.0 tools continue to develop, it would be detrimental for teachers to ignore the educational potential and the need for graduates to be able to apply its principles in a variety of settings. Today’s new teachers are the first generation of teachers having grown up with access to technology. However, that does not mean they are automatic experts in Web 2.0 technology. Greg Taranto in “New Teacher Induction 2.0” (2011) writes “Two problems facing today’s teaching force are teacher attrition and digital integration and literacy skills” (p.4). He argues that the solution is in teacher preparation through professional learning communities. The collaborative nature of Web 2.0 technology provides the necessary framework to support brand new, in-service teachers.
The benefits of utilizing Web 2.0 tools in the classroom far outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, it should be the goal of every school district to ensure quality internet access to every family and sector of the community if possible. Donna J. Bambauch in “Web 2.0 and You” describes some of the advantages in these terms: transition from searching to using AND creating [higher order thinking skills], better student project results, equitable access to resources, successful integration of 21st century skills into the curriculum, increased teacher collaboration, ability to create websites with maximum effects, online sharing, showcasing and promotion of finished produced, maximizing time while increasing output, and stretching the budget [cutting costs and saving money] (2009, p.13).
Conclusion
There is no more exciting time to be in education. Web 2.0 offers endless possibilities, allowing for global interaction and multicultural perspectives. The only downsides to using Web 2.0 in education is the lack of time for teacher training, limited access, safety concerns, and copyright concerns. Barriers to overcome include fear of technology, intimidation of tools, and impatience. Extra time will always be needed for less tech-savvy teachers to gain confidence as they begin using the tools to design and implement effective instruction. A discussion of technology in education is incomplete without an examination of Web 2.0 technology. Web 2.0 is changing education forever. It is the very reason why this paper is being written this very moment, and it is the reason for that forty of us in the Micronesia area in the remote western Pacific are pursuing graduate degrees in the fields of Library and Information Science.
REFERENCES
Albion, P. R. (2008). Web 2.0 in teacher education: two imperatives for action. Computers in the Schools, 25(3/4), 181-198. doi:10.1080/07380560802368173
Anderson, C. (2012). Using web 2.0 tools for feedback in the classroom. Distance Learning, 9(2), 21-25. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/distance-
learning.html
Baumbach, D. J. (2009). Web 2.0 & you. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 12-19. Retrieved from www.ala.org/aasl/knowledge-quest
Dohn, N. (2009). Web 2.0: inherent tensions and evident challenges for education. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 4(3),
343-363. doi:10.1007/s11412-009-9066-8
Rogers-Estable, M. (2009). Web 2.0 and distance education. Distance Learning, 6(4), 55-60. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/distance-learning.html
Soulé, H. (2008). Transforming school communities. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(1), 12-15. Retrieved from www.learningandleading-digital.com/
Taranto, G. (2011). New-teacher induction 2.0. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 28(1), 4-15. www.iste.org/learn/publications/journals/jdlte.aspx
Thompson, J. (2008). Don't be afraid to explore web 2.0. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(10), 711,778. Retrieved from www.pdkintl.org/publications/kappan.htm
Rosalyn A. Ajoste
University of North Texas
Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………3
Digital Divide………………………………………………………………………….3
Digital Communications……………………………………………………………..4
Effective Instruction…………………………………………………………………..5
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….……7
References………………………………………………………………………....…8
Introduction
Technology is an essential part of today’s educational systems. In fact, education reform mandates that all schools perform at or above grade level by 2014 or face repercussions. The intent of former President Bush’s No Child Left Behind mandate is positive, but the pressure on the country’s schools and educational leaders has led to a mad dash to find the right tool to produce gains in student achievement. Research has shown that direct teaching of technology skills is one reason for improved overall scores. With regard to determining whether students comprehended lesson objectives, Christine Anderson writes in “Using Web 2.0 Tools for Feedback in the Classroom” (2012), “Technology offers educators a way to receive that immediate feedback, which is critical to changing instructional practices and increasing student achievement” (p.21). A look at the latest Web 2.0 reveals that schools that utilize technology in the classroom to the highest degree reap the benefit of improved academic performance. The impact of Web 2.0 tools is best understood in the context of digital natives, digital communications, and teacher effectiveness in instruction.
Digital Natives
This is the 21st century. Today’s students are digital natives i,e, their personal and social interactions depend on technology. One rarely sees a youth without some kind of electronic device in hand (cell phone, ipod, ipad, e-reader, etc.). Not only are they passive recipients of digital information, but according to John Thompson in “Don’t Be Afraid to Explore Web 2.0” (2008), “content on the Internet is no longer static; it is changing and dynamic…anybody (even a fifth-grader) can create and upload text, as well as audio and video” (p.711). Web 2.0 technology refers to a major upgrade from Web 1.0 (read-only) to Web 2.0 (read/write); the emphasis is on user participation to the extent that the average Internet user can contribute from any locale (Thompson, 2008, p. 711).
Differences in accessibility must be account for. The digital divide, or the difference between those with access to technology and those without, is still a very real thing. Developing nations have a much lower percentage of technology access that those in highly industrialized countries. The idea of digital natives is simply a blanket statement for the particular generation as whole, but it doesn’t account for poverty-stricken areas. Peter R. Albion writes in “Web 2.0 in Teacher Education: Two Imperatives for Action” that the World Wide Web has “evolved from a method for sharing text and occasional images within the privileged academic environment to the everyday means for sharing text, images, audio, and video among people around the world” (p. 181).
Digital Communications
The struggle to “transform schools of industrial age classrooms to 21st-century learning environments where modern pedagogy and technology engage students in successful learning journeys…requires solid communication strategies and smart use of effective tools” (Soule, 2008, p.12). Web 2.0 tools offer the external and internal support that schools need to gather support from all stakeholders (parents, teachers, students, administrators, community). In this age of public transparency, trust depends on the clear communication and openness; once the stakeholders literally see what is happening in the schools, they will be able to ascertain how to be a help. Michelle Rogers-Estable in “Web 2.0 and Distance Education: Tools and Techniques” provides great descriptions and examples of great Web 2.0 tools that include blogs, podcasts, online surveys, video conferences, websites, emails, newsletters, voice-over technology (Skype, VoiceThread, wikis, social bookmarking sites, social networking sites, and social graphics sites, and RSS feeds) (p. 56-59). In fact, she credits the Open Source Initiative (OSI) of 2009 and the Creative Commons (CC) project as two major movements within the transition to Web 2.0. Knowledge of these technologies is guaranteed to close the gap between teachers and their tech-savvy students. Parents too may participate by leaving comments on the sites, teaching students more about responsibility and accountability in regard to internet technology (Rogers-Estable, 2009, p. 60).
Another development in Web 2.0 technology according to Nina Bonderup Dohn in “Web 2.0: Inherent Tensions and Evident Challenges for Education” (2009) is the shift from “information sharing to focusing on the establishment and negotiation of personal identity and social relations and, generally, on participation for the sake of participation itself” (p.344). Web 2.0 tools in and of themselves are engaging and full of didactic potential i.e. they contain element of participation, collaboration, production, and dialogue (Dohn, 2009, p.344).
Effective Instruction
As Web 2.0 tools continue to develop, it would be detrimental for teachers to ignore the educational potential and the need for graduates to be able to apply its principles in a variety of settings. Today’s new teachers are the first generation of teachers having grown up with access to technology. However, that does not mean they are automatic experts in Web 2.0 technology. Greg Taranto in “New Teacher Induction 2.0” (2011) writes “Two problems facing today’s teaching force are teacher attrition and digital integration and literacy skills” (p.4). He argues that the solution is in teacher preparation through professional learning communities. The collaborative nature of Web 2.0 technology provides the necessary framework to support brand new, in-service teachers.
The benefits of utilizing Web 2.0 tools in the classroom far outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, it should be the goal of every school district to ensure quality internet access to every family and sector of the community if possible. Donna J. Bambauch in “Web 2.0 and You” describes some of the advantages in these terms: transition from searching to using AND creating [higher order thinking skills], better student project results, equitable access to resources, successful integration of 21st century skills into the curriculum, increased teacher collaboration, ability to create websites with maximum effects, online sharing, showcasing and promotion of finished produced, maximizing time while increasing output, and stretching the budget [cutting costs and saving money] (2009, p.13).
Conclusion
There is no more exciting time to be in education. Web 2.0 offers endless possibilities, allowing for global interaction and multicultural perspectives. The only downsides to using Web 2.0 in education is the lack of time for teacher training, limited access, safety concerns, and copyright concerns. Barriers to overcome include fear of technology, intimidation of tools, and impatience. Extra time will always be needed for less tech-savvy teachers to gain confidence as they begin using the tools to design and implement effective instruction. A discussion of technology in education is incomplete without an examination of Web 2.0 technology. Web 2.0 is changing education forever. It is the very reason why this paper is being written this very moment, and it is the reason for that forty of us in the Micronesia area in the remote western Pacific are pursuing graduate degrees in the fields of Library and Information Science.
REFERENCES
Albion, P. R. (2008). Web 2.0 in teacher education: two imperatives for action. Computers in the Schools, 25(3/4), 181-198. doi:10.1080/07380560802368173
Anderson, C. (2012). Using web 2.0 tools for feedback in the classroom. Distance Learning, 9(2), 21-25. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/distance-
learning.html
Baumbach, D. J. (2009). Web 2.0 & you. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 12-19. Retrieved from www.ala.org/aasl/knowledge-quest
Dohn, N. (2009). Web 2.0: inherent tensions and evident challenges for education. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 4(3),
343-363. doi:10.1007/s11412-009-9066-8
Rogers-Estable, M. (2009). Web 2.0 and distance education. Distance Learning, 6(4), 55-60. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/distance-learning.html
Soulé, H. (2008). Transforming school communities. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(1), 12-15. Retrieved from www.learningandleading-digital.com/
Taranto, G. (2011). New-teacher induction 2.0. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 28(1), 4-15. www.iste.org/learn/publications/journals/jdlte.aspx
Thompson, J. (2008). Don't be afraid to explore web 2.0. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(10), 711,778. Retrieved from www.pdkintl.org/publications/kappan.htm