From the text, standards, and videos, there is a shift from the traditional classrooms of the World War II era and ways in which students learn that now take into consideration how students are acquiring this knowledge, especially with the tools that they have available with technology. Lowyck (2014) explained that as more technology becomes available there is an evident shift in the learning processes and areas of emphasis (p. 4). This is illustrated by the technological advancements after WWII, the launch of Sputnik, and personal computers (Lowyck, 2014, p. 4-5). As technology tools are incorporated into the classrooms, teachers need to utilize these to further student learning and engagement rather than just using them in place of a non-digital alternative. For example, instead of using the library for research, students would use the internet. This does not further enhance their knowledge or skills; it has just been replaced. Kimmons (2018) discussed how SAMR and RAT are technology integration models that have replacement pieces that teacher utilize in their practice and allow educators to reflect on the effect that technology integration has in their classroom. According to the International Society for Technology in Education (2016) standards for students, students should be able to be a “Knowledge Constructor,” an “Empowered Learner,” and a “Computational Thinker,” which are the names of some of the standards. This is much more than the surface-level incorporation of technology in the classroom. From analyzing the ISTE student standards, I found myself asking how am I modeling these skills with my students and what kind of environment I am creating to foster this with my students. The standards need to be brought to the forefront of instruction as a tool to aid in their learning and not just incorporating technology with no purpose.
Teachers are expected to get students prepared for the post-secondary world and make sure the students have the appropriate skills, such as 21st Century Skills. This information and skill practice is embedded into their teaching and methods. Additionally, the notion of the 21st Century Skills is used to make decisions at school and district levels but holds very little merit. Kirschner and Hendrick addressed that these skills are not new and are not learned, but rather traits that people have (Festival of Education UK, 2021). After reflecting on what is included in the 21st Century Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity, it is clear that these are not nuanced ideas (Festival of Education UK, 2021). Kirschner and Hendrick included them in their Seven Deadly Sins of Learning (Festival of Education UK, 2021). This sin in particular stood out because it has been addressed in meetings where teachers discuss what future potential employers are looking for and how teachers can help bridge the gap to get students where they need to be before they graduate. It begs the question, what could be considered true 21st Century Skills that would move the margin and be appropriate for students to learn as they prepare the enter the workforce in a more modern time? As part of the Seven Deadly Sins, Kirschner and Hendrick discussed how motivation does not exclusively lead to learning or achievement (Festival of Education UK, 2021). As a teacher in an End-of-Course (EOC) tested subject, I found that during professional learning committee (PLC) meetings, teachers often used motivation as a reason why students were not performing well or why their test scores were low. However, Nuthall (2007) explained that is quite the opposite, where “learning requires motivation, but motivation does not necessarily lead to learning” (as cited in Festival of Education UK, 2021). This idea of motivation piqued my interest as teachers cling to it as a reason why students perform or do not perform well, where they need to examine their classrooms and activities to see what is leading to their scores and be more reflective in their practice as van Merriënboer and de Bruin (2014) explained. When teachers begin their reflection, van Merriënboer & Bruin (2014) brought up the point that “there are numerous conditions that affect the relationship between methods and outcomes: The ubiquity of interactions leads to a combinational explosion of factors influencing learning” (p.27). It is important to consider the relationship between these two while teachers analyze their practice. Being able to reflect on the practices that occur in the classroom is a skill that teachers need to be encouraged to do with a support system to help them reach their goals by reassessing what methods were used, the outcome, and relating it to the desired outcome. How can we best support teachers in the reflection process to help them bridge the gap between their outcomes and desired outcomes? Without answering this question, constructivist teaching approaches should be considered for a teacher as Taber pointed out that teachers need to be aware of where learners are when they begin and make connections with prior knowledge (Cambridge Institute for Continuing Education, 2017). This could be a great starting point in the reflection process. My vision for teaching and learning with technology would be to see a balance of utilizing technology tools in the classroom to further enhance and engage the students. From my experience, teachers are unfamiliar with the specific ISTE standards and how they should be incorporated into the classroom. While I do not want to add to teachers’ plates, I do want to create a space where they feel comfortable trying new technology tools in the classroom with support and using them with the ISTE standards in mind. I envision teachers taking one technology tool and incorporating it into their lessons through one semester and trying another one the next semester. This will give students and teachers exposure to at least some new technology tools and move toward full implementation of ISTE standards. As Taber explained, learning new processes or information needs to be chunked because the working memory has a limited capacity (Cambridge Institute for Continue Education, 2017). From my experience, teachers are inundated with all of these new and flashy technologies and it can be overwhelming, so they would rather stick to what they know and not move forward with the incorporation of the tools. Therefore, I would like to start by aiding and assisting teachers with narrowing down a couple of technology tools to try within the year as educators move towards more incorporation of technology in teaching and learning as well as the focus on the ISTE standards. References Cambridge Institute for Continuing Education. [CambridgeEDUC]. (2017, March 10). CIE | Constructivist Perspectives on Learning | Keith Taber [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/50lVLYAXzYE Festival of Education UK. (2021, June 30). Keynote | Paul Kirschner & Carl Hendrick [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qt0Xbh88tsM International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE standards for students. https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students Kimmons, R. (2018). Technology Integration: Effectively Integrating Technology in Educational Settings. In A. Ottenbreit-Leftwich & R. Kimmons, The K-12 Educational Technology Handbook. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/k12handbook/technology_integration Lowyck, J. (2014). Bridging learning theories and technology-enhanced environments: A critical appraisal of its history. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen, & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (4th ed., pp. 3-20). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_1 van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & de Bruin, A. B. H. (2014). Research paradigms and perspectives on learning. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen, & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (4th ed., pp. 21-29). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_25
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