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Video Discussion Thread 1 - Transcript

May 26, 2024

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Often times, education feels like a seesaw. You have two competing demands: one is meeting the goals of a standards-based curriculum, and the other is the individual needs of your students. So, how does a teacher balance both of these demands? There are multiple tools available that can make both of these things possible at the same time. 

 

One of those tools is mentioned by the authors of our textbook, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. They tell the story of a math teacher who uses a computer-based system that incorporates practice problems and drills that are geared towards each individual student (Hughes & Roblyer, 2022). This teacher can focus on covering his standardized goals while each student is also benefiting from exercises designed to meet their individual needs. 

 

Computer simulations are another tool mentioned in our other textbook, Handbook of Research in Educational Communications and Technology. There, they explain how students’ performance improved when using simulations of events and places (Bishop et al., 2020).

 

As far as my best practices, as a literature teacher, playing videos of the novels we read, as well as bringing a speaker to play sound effects throughout the reading has served to give students a much better feel for the events. So, for me it consists of mostly the visual reinforcement of videos and photos and the audible reinforcement of sound effects.

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Personal Philosophy Paper

May 26, 2024

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It has been said that motivation precedes student engagement (Bishop et al., 2020). Of course, there are multiple facets of intrinsic motivation which already are or are not present within a student. However, their extrinsic motivation that drives their engagement can be greatly increased by the technology that is or is not present in the classroom. Why is technology part of our education system? In short, because it has the potential to increase student motivation, and thus, classroom participation. Technology such as clicker technologies, virtual and augmented reality, and game-based learning have all shown potential to increase students’ “interest and enjoyment” (Bishop et al., 2020, p. 25) of learning. If this is the case, it is clear why it is part of the education system. Student motivation and engagement are the key to success in any classroom.

 

In addition to increasing student interest in lesson content, technology also provides a means to more customized education without the added expense of tutoring. It is impossible for teachers to both manage a classroom and provide individualized instruction to each child that is specific to their strengths and weaknesses. However, applications and programs with artificial intelligence (AI) can discern the level of each student and create online drills and activities that specifically target their learning needs (Hughes & Roblyer, 2022). Teachers can then review their students’ online statistics and ascertain how to best instruct the classroom as a whole as well as individual students. Technology is often thought of as an added expense. However, if it decreases the need for tutoring, it could actually be a cost-savings technique in the long run. For all of these reasons, technology is a vital part of the education system.

 

We have a professional obligation to do anything that is best for the student. If technology increases motivation, engagement, and effectiveness of instruction for both students and teachers, we do have a professional obligation to include such improvements. Asking whether or not we should include technology in education is like asking whether doctors have an obligation to use CT scans and x-ray machines in their practice. Such machines give doctors the ability to more effectively diagnose and treat their patients. Thus, their use is a vital part of quality patient care. Similarly, technology aids teachers in “diagnosing” what their students need as well as “treating” their weaknesses with more effective instruction.

 

As has already been shown, the impact of technology on student learning can be significant. In the west where inner-city schools are especially complicated with learners of different languages, cultures, levels of English, and learning abilities, technology can positively impact the ability of schools to effectively educate the wide array of levels in each classroom. Technology can also increase the motivation and consequently the excitement and attention span students have to focus and participate in class.

 

The Biblical defense for technology in the classroom has three supports. First of all, my integration of technology into my classroom (or lack thereof) is a direct result of my diligence (or lack thereof). I truly hate figuring out how to use new technology. I have never thought of myself as a lazy person, but I see that this is a form of laziness. I also know that taking the time and effort to learn how to incorporate technological advancements into my teaching would greatly benefit my students. The Bible speaks about the importance of diligence as it warns, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied” (English Standard Version, 2001, Proverbs 13:4). If I simply write or talk about the improvements technology could make in my classroom but do not make the effort to learn and incorporate new tools, I will “crave and get nothing” (English Standard Version, 2001, Proverbs 13:4). If I take the time to learn new tools, the classroom could be “richly supplied” with exciting new ways of learning.

 

Secondly, the Bible says that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (King James Version, 1611, I Corinthians 14:33). An environment or order vs. confusion and chaos is something that pleases God. Technology can also remove confusion and chaos from the classroom by adding increased structure and clarity for students with timers and sound effects that signal the beginning and end of activities, personal computer drills that allow teachers to organize and regroup for the next teaching segment, and videos and photos that remove confusion or questions that might remain following verbal explanations.

 

Thirdly, when Jesus tells the parable of the talents, he praises the servants who added to their talents saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (English Standard Version, 2001, Matthew 25:21). On the flip side, he rebukes the one who hid his talent in the ground and did not grow or use what he was given (English Standard Version, 2001, Matthew 25:26-30). This shows that Jesus wants his followers to use the resources they have and even add to or multiply them rather than lazily burying them in the ground. I believe refusal to grow in the use of technology could be equivalent to burying what you have been given in the ground. Using technology can literally add to and multiply the time of teachers, learning of students, and enjoyment of learning.

 

After stating this position using both academic and Biblical sources, this dictates that I enter each school year, lesson plan, and classroom with an open mind that is willing to learn and discover more efficient, effective, and engaging ways to facilitate learning. This must include researching and exploring new ways of integrating technology in a way that will enhance my students’ ability to learn. This will require making a list of all the tools and ideas presented in the course and faithfully researching them to see if they could compliment my classroom. If so, I should take the time and effort to learn how to incorporate them into my lesson plans as well as the extra training to show my students how to respond to such tools. I must commit to develop my knowledge of technology rather than taking the path of least resistance and continuing class exactly the same as I have always done.

 

 

References

 

Bishop, M.J., Boling, E., Elen, J. & Svihla, V. (2020). Handbook of research in educational

communications and technology. (5th edition). Springer

 

 

Hughes, J.E. & Roblyer, M.D. (2022). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (9th

edition). Person Education

 

 

King James Version. (1611). Harper & Row

 

 

English Standard Version. (2001). Crossway

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Video Discussion Thread 2

June 13, 2024

 

 

The Handbook of Research in Educational Communications and Technology tells us that teens spend a whopping 9 hours a day consuming media while ages 8-12 spend an average of 6 hours per day (Bishop et al., 2020). Much of this media time includes gaming. So, what are the benefits of gaming in the classroom? An obvious answer is the students are already interested in it! This is what they are dying to go home and do anyway. So, incorporating gaming into education automatically increases interest. The textbook, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, mentions that students can practice critical thinking and textual analysis through video games (Hughes & Roblyer, 2022). This could be appropriate during discussions of novels in class. However, the benefit would likely also be the challenge: they may become obsessed and unwilling to move to the next segment of the lesson. Unfortunately, my school in the middle east is not advanced enough to incorporate this technology yet, so I do not have any strategies to share.

 

 

 

References

 

Bishop, M.J., Boling, E., Elen, J. & Svihla, V. (2020). Handbook of research in

educational communications and technology. (5th edition). Springer

 

Hughes, J.E. & Roblyer, M.D. (2022). Integrating educational technology into

teaching. (9th edition). Person Education

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Technology Lesson Demonstration Essay

June 17, 2024

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I used the Classroomscreen app to enhance my literature lesson which covers conflicts, characters, and discussion of life lessons. This tool offers several contributions to the lesson. It allows me to begin teaching immediately instead of needing to write on the board. The sections that I normally take time to write on the board at the beginning of class are already projected on the wall. This gives more time for the lesson and a greater ability to focus on the students. It also provides a built-in timer, which shows students what how long they have for a given activity such as pair discussion or groupwork.

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One way I could use technology to differentiate this plan is to use the sound effect widget on the Classroomscreen app to signal changing of activities, alert students that time is almost up, or even warn students if they are off task. The traffic light tool could also be a visual way to differentiate instruction to engage more students. Even if they do not hear an instruction to put their pencils down or end group discussion, they will still see the stop light and realize it is time to stop. Students who may be whispering to their neighbor instead of listening may still notice the green light on the screen and begin the appropriate activity.

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Video Discussion Thread 3 - Transcript

June 24, 2024

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The Handbook of Research in Educational Communications and Technology cites a study of eighteen different students who had one or more disabilities. After using apps related to their subject where they received immediate feedback on their answers, all students (especially the ones with disabilities) showed improvement (Bishop et al., 2020). Our textbook, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, mentions the positive relationship between game use and academic performance (Hughes & Roblyer, 2022). Although my school is not equipped specifically with assistive devices, and the culture where I teach is reluctant to diagnose learning disabilities, I have used technology as a way to meet the needs of all my students. One of the primary ways I have done that is through games. For example, as a review game, we used a web-based version of Jeopardy. I was pleasantly surprised how engaged the students were, and I think that game of Jeopardy may have been the first time some students understood the material.

 

 

References

 

Bishop, M.J., Boling, E., Elen, J. & Svihla, V. (2020). Handbook of research in

educational communications and technology. (5th edition). Springer

 

Hughes, J.E. & Roblyer, M.D. (2022). Integrating educational technology into

teaching. (9th edition). Person Education

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Assistive Technology Trends

June 29, 2024

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Video Discussion Thread 4 - Transcript

July 4, 2024

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One lesson I learned from the textbook, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, is to use an online whiteboard such as www.ClassroomScreen.com to project timers and other gadgets on the board (Hughes & Roblyer, 2022). This will be helpful during class activities because students will be able to see the timer on the screen and know how much time they have left. Another basic lesson, but one that was new to me, is how to record a video on QuickTime Player. Thirdly, I learned how to create an infographic and use it as an assessment (Bishop et al., 2020). This course did change my views on gaming and technology in general and helped me realize they can be used to enhance relational interaction rather than to shut it down. My key takeaway is to be open to learning new technology instead of lazily continuing in the same way I have always done things.

 

 

References

 

Bishop, M.J., Boling, E., Elen, J. & Svihla, V. (2020). Handbook of research in

educational communications and technology. (5th edition). Springer

 

Hughes, J.E. & Roblyer, M.D. (2022). Integrating educational technology into

teaching. (9th edition). Person