As a teacher, I will not be defined by the device I hold in my hand or the technology I use in my lesson, but rather how I use the device or technology to teach and empower my students to connect, learn, and grow. I believe my role as an educator has shifted from taking center stage teaching upfront in my classroom, to standing beside my students in perfect coaching position. Students enter the classroom as performers, in need of experiences to encourage connecting, learning, and creating. Similar to the game of soccer, a coach leads the players through multiple practices with the use of necessary equipment, conditioning the players for the big game or season to come. When it comes time for the players to perform, the coach is standing to the side of the players ready to encourage, instruct, and guide them when needed. Just like a coach, as a teacher, I need to provide my students with the necessary tools, instruction, and encouragement to prepare my students for the game of life which lies ahead. I believe the tool most suited to prepare my students to perform in life is technology.
Just like Adam Bellow stated in his short video, “An Introduction to Technology Education,” when using technology as a tool to teach, it is up to me as a teacher to decide what I will do with it and how students will use it. I will not use technology merely as a substitute for a traditional classroom object or a device to enhance my lesson, but rather I will follow the SAMR model and redefine my lessons by using technology to create tasks my students never imagined possible. Reflecting what Dave Guymon believes, I view technology being more than a device used for show-and-tell. Technology must be a tool I use to strengthen students’ engagement in learning, academic achievement and transitions, and overall growth.
Similar to educational learning theorist John Dewey, I believe students learn best through not only experience, but experiences which students can connect to their own lives. With technology, through podcasts, creating YouTube movies, and websites/blogs, students are able to proudly share with others around the world as their work comes to life. Just like Seymour Papert, renowned expert on children and computing, I believe real-world issues can motivate students to learn and solve authentic problems. Just like Papert, I feel through the use of project-based learning (PBL), learners are given the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities mimicking what scientists do.
As an example of PBL, instead of having students only learn about living and non-living objects through a textbook, students can engage in the world outside and create a digital scavenger hunt using an application such as Aurasma or iMovie which can then be shared with other students. By connecting learning to real-life experiences, like grocery shopping when teaching students about money, students are able to take learning beyond the classroom. By using digital resources and apps, students are able to make these learning experiences, like a digital store, a reality within a classroom.
To put it best, the classroom is like a garden filled with learning options. With technology, learning options begin to grow. As the teacher I believe it is my job to weed through the good and bad options. By analyzing results and making revisions just like Dave Guymon believes, I will know what technology can be used to enable my students to use technology to enhance their learning experience.