Focus Question:
1) What are the major issues, developments, and trends in the field of educational technology?
One of the major issues with technology in the education field is the fact that teachers aren't confident enough to use the technology as quickly as they should be. In the book, on page 22, it states an example of a new teacher who admits that she is worried on how she can promote technologies in her classroom, if she doesn't know how they work and all the questions that they might ask.
On page 26 they mention a theory called Rogers innovation curve, which pretty much sums up how people adapt to change. When applying this theory to educators you can divide teachers in this way:
1) a small group who are ready to intergrate the technology as soon as it comes out.
2) a medium size group who is cautious aboutusing the technology because of the problems it may cause.
3) the majority of undecided educators who would use technology is they were more confdent on how to use it.
It has always been known that studets are bored with teachers lectures. Now with more and more teachers getting on the technology train they are becoming more engaged by videos, group projects, and lessons that have technology incorporated into them. It is becoming a trend in the field to help students become engaged in their lessons.
Tech Tools:
Apps for Teaching and Learning (page 25)
Growing up in the "there is an app for that" generation, I tend to forget that there are apps out there that don't have the users throwing birds at pigs, or updating their multiple social networking websites. I find it amazing that between April 2010 and March 2012 25 billion apps were sold for iPads alone. New York City is using the new technology to help make the city better.
Since I would like to teach in the english field, I find the app Poetry interesting. The idea that a student can just hit a button and have a multitude of poems on one topic at their finger tips. This is something that I would use in my classroom as a "bellwork" activity. With apps like Mathboard and The Elements being in the App Store I see great study tools that many students don't know are open to them.
(The picture below shows my apple store showing iPoe 2 which helps students understand the writings of Poe, in an interactive way. Also, the education category on the apple sotre.)
Summary:
In this chapter we talk about what teachers face when they bring in technology, and how tit can be helpful to them. I known that when I enter the teaching field one of the issues I will have is how ready I am to use the technology that is open to me. Even now, I know that I am behind in the times. I am part of the Media mover technology group and the Desktop veteran technology group. I need to get to the Digital collaborator group.
The book also talks about the barriers that come with technology. They list reasons like: lack of access, class times, course requirements, and participation gap. All of these are huge reasons why teacers can't or won't intergrate technology with their lessons. While the lack of access to computers is becoming less of an issue, the participation gap is still an issue when it comes to technology at home. If you only have 30 minutes with students, you are less likely to use videos, or apps, with them because you have to get all the information to them that your state, or the government, demands that you teach them.
Finally it talks about overcoming the digital disconnect. It states the 5 metaphors of how students view the internet: as a textbook, library, tutoring shortcut, study group, guidance counselor, locker, backpack, and notebook. It gives ideas as to how students believe their schools and teachers can help them: online classes at school and home, smartphones and MP3 players being used as tools, computer-based math learning games, and interactive e-textbooks. It is our job as educators to help bridge the digital gap, and teach students the positive and negative ways to use technology in their schools and for the rest of their lives.
