Technology in Education

/in /by

For me, technology is a double-edged sword. It contributes a great deal to society and has opened so many doors, but in many ways detracts from society as well. I try to have minimal screen time every day, but want to be knowledgable in technological practices as well because technology enhances our lives and technological skills are vital to function in society. So, I think there’s a balance and I’m sure I’ll be continuing to try to maintain that balance for the rest of my life as technology continues to rapidly progress. As an educator, I want to learn and practice a smart and effective use of technology.

This blog is the result of an EdTech class I’m currently enrolled in at Cal State Channel Islands. In this course, we are exploring the role technology plays in education. What have I learned so far?

  • Twitter is not useless.
    • I never thought I would be a tweeter. I deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts a while back for several reasons, but mostly because I found social media to be a time zapper. Most of what I encountered on social media was trivial and I figured Twitter would expose me to the same junk. I was pleased to discover, through this course, that Twitter can actually be used as a powerful educational tool. I started tweeting about a month ago and am slowly building my PLN (“Professional Learning Network” -new term for me). I love reading about the latest news in education and being able to hear from educators across the country, especially as we are undergoing a major shift with implementing Common Core.
  • There are endless possibilities for effectively using technology in education.
  • Technology has the potential to enrich my classroom and connect my students with the outside world.
  • I know far less about technology than I thought.
  • How to effectively use Twitter as an educator:
    • I found this video by Alec Couros helpful. He discusses how to use Twitter effectively in education and argues that as an educator, you will become irrelevant if you are not engaged in Twitter because it connects you to the best and most recent practices.
    • Develop a PLN over a long period of time: find ppl to follow: leaders, administrative people, subject area specialists, and fellow teachers!
    • Although tweets can only contain up to 140 characters, they can lead us to articles, diagrams, videos and more!
    • Join chats (i.e. #edchat #kinderchat)