Technology in Education

    The incorporation of technology in the classroom has become more prevalent in the past 20 years. When I reflect on my own schooling experience, the presence of technology from when I entered the school system 17 years ago has changed immensely up until today. One of the main things I found interesting from this section was the fact that technology does not always refer to digital technology - there are various forms of technology. The quotation, "...technology is about more than objects and tools; it refers to the ideas, practices, artifacts, and sensibilities that define a culture" (Davis et, al., 2019), really emphasizes how technology is represented in different forms. Without even realizing it, technology has been present in the classrooms; however, it has taken a turn to be present in a more digital way. As a teacher, it will be important to understand the different forms of technology and how to incorporate technology in an appropriate manner. One of the main takeaways from this section is remembering that teaching is designing because we have to combine what is planned with the unexpected in order to achieve the end goal. 

    As teachers, incorporating technology in the classroom is important - regardless of the subject - because it has been proven to be useful for students. However, I truly believe that there is a proper time and place for the use of technology; I do not think that you can incorporate technology in every aspect and it will always have a positive outcome. Students want to learn about things that they can use in real life, and technology is a useful tool to aid in that. Relating back to the point about using technology in the right place at the right time, the key component of technology is ensuring that it is relatable, relevant, and engaging. I appreciate the idea that technology does not make things better or worse; instead, it just makes things. The way we use technology is what depicts whether or not it is useful to the individual. 

    I got to experience the engaging component of technology first-hand in the classroom with the Scratch activity I participated in. I found this activity engaging because I was able to do something that was relatable to my life. I took the task of the Scratch activity and altered it to relate to something I enjoyed (making a soccer player kick a ball) rather than doing typical drawings. This emphasizes the idea of teachers giving the tools for students learning, and those students take those tools and guide their own journey. It ties all together with giving students authority over their own learning to ensure they are receiving a meaningful education and are able to get the most out of their education.

    This image represents what the potential future could look like with technology. We cannot fully anticipate the role of technology in education, but we can make educated guesses as to the impact of technology in the classroom.

Davis, B., Francis, K., & Friesen, S. (2019). STEM. In STEM education by design: Opening horizons of possibility (pp. 52-71). essay, Routledge.