Why we Need Technology in Education

Why we Need Technology in Education (and why it Isn't a Waste of Time).

I am biased. I love technology, and see it as a way to open up a whole new world of opportunities for my students. Not only does it break down the traditional barriers established by the four walls of a classroom, it provides students with authentic audiences, and allows students to explore new ways of learning. For those reasons, along with many others, I feel that it is fair for me to feel this way about technology. And I'm never going to apologize for my passion, because it is what drives what I do. However, I can understand how technology can be unnerving for some educators, especially when they have misconceptions about the role technology plays in a learning environment. 

It is important to establish that technology will never replace good pedagogy. In fact, it is imperative that the two to go hand in hand. The image below comes from an academic article by Harris & Hoffer (2011). It outlines the importance of teachers having strong knowledge in the areas of content, pedagogy, and technology. When teachers are strong in all three areas, that is where the best teaching will occur. It is not enough just to know the tech tools. You must also know the content you are teaching, and have strong pedagogy skills as well. If technology is being used without knowledge of pedagogy or content, it will not be effective in helping students learn. 

Harris & Hoffer (2011)

In the past few days, I have heard colleagues express the notions that through our use of technology we are neglecting the whole child, that we need to stop pushing technology in our schools, and that the use of technology shouldn't be at the forefront of learning. Misconceptions about how technology should be used in the classroom exist because it is misunderstood. Technology hasn't engulfed our entire classrooms and it isn't being used to replace methods that we know work. It is being utilized as a way to enhance and enrich learning opportunities where possible. It offers new ways to engage learners and diversifies opportunities available to students in the classroom. It provides accessibility tools for struggling learners. Teachers who are effective in their use of technology realize that there needs to be balance, and are willing to do the work to ensure that balance exists for the sake of their students. Even if it takes twice the time and effort, because they see the value everyday. 

Teachers who fear or lack an understanding of technology should take a peek into the classrooms of teachers who are effectively using it. They might be surprised to find how intentional the use of technology really is, and how meaningful the learning opportunities are. Using technology in a way that supports learning takes more work than a person might expect. It is more than just popping students on laptops and telling them to research something. Students need scaffolding, supports, and to be explicitly taught the skills essential to using the technology for learning. It also takes a lot of dedication on the part of the teacher to learn the tools, and recognize how best to use them in the classroom. We owe it to our students to create environments in our classrooms that foster the development of skills necessary for 21st century learners, especially since by the time they graduate, they will need these skills to be successful in their future careers. Below is the framework for student learning designed by Alberta Ed. The reason I have included it is to remind educators that education is changing (even here in our own province), and so are the skills that are students will need. We can't ignore technology, because it isn't going away. How can we teach students to be digitally and technologically fluent if we aren't using it in our classrooms? Food for thought.