There is no reason to believe that a blog post here and there will disrupt ingrained teaching practice to the extent that high-flying educators should refuse to allow it in their classrooms. To convince teachers to adapt to new and changing methods of delivering instruction, and to reassure them that test scores and student achievement will not suffer, perhaps the approach needs to change.
Instead of telling teachers that technology should be allowed in the classroom just because, the message should be one of truly preparing students to think creatively and collaboratively using the tools they will be using outside of the school building.
Although these teachers may enjoy great success with paper-pencil, direct-instruction activities, that success will not necessarily translate into the kind of learning that will prove valuable after the school bell rings.
The argument here is not about test scores or student engagement. The argument is about real-world application, using 21st century tools. Students who are not adequately prepared to adapt to a changing world will not be ready to fully live in and profit from it.
When teachers model adaptation, innovation, and a willingness to continue to learn, then students benefit regardless of the method of instructional delivery. Our focus is on the future, and on the best way to prepare students for a world that we cannot predict. When that happens, then there is no reason to argue against technology.
Watch this clip of Teach For All CEO Wendy Kopp discuss the role (and limitations) of technology in the classroom.
Andrea Jones is a technology specialist in Virginia. A former French teacher, she currently supports technology integration in a middle school.
- When teachers don’t need technology - April 29, 2014