NOT and Elementary
School Teachers
The teaching of nature of technology (NOT) at a young age is important
to build the foundation for students to utilize technology effectively and
wisely throughout their social and academic careers.
I plan to teach at the upper elementary grade
level (3-5) and the use of technology is abundant in the practicum classrooms I
was involved.
Elementary students for
the most part are rules driven and I plan to have a chart on the wall of questions
to ask ourselves before using technology and a technology leader assigned each
week. This reflection will be important to hold myself accountable and to teach those skills to students who have primarily used technology for entertainment.
Bringing this awareness and
questioning whether or not we should be using technology should be a routine
discussion. As Dr. Kruse states:
“NOT understanding is crucial so teachers can
assist students in understanding the processes, characteristics, philosophy and
content of technology.” (Kruse)
The decision to use technology in the classroom and the NOT
needs to be weighed before every lesson plan.
I plan to use a set of questions similar to this before implementing
into the lesson:
Link:
Teachthought.com
I also think it is important and have learned that setting
the learning goal first and then deciding to integrate technology is important.
Just because the school has technology
available doesn’t mean that it should be used.
If appears fun then I need to especially be careful that I am not entertaining
the students rather than teaching them the learning target.
As Dr. Kruse states:
“The crucial point here is to carefully consider how new
technologies may simply be more sophisticated and expensive versions of already
existing materials and approaches in education.” (Kruse)
Just because all students may have access to a laptop does
not mean it should be their primary reference tool and shouldn’t always be used
as opposed to pencil and paper or a dictionary/encyclopedia. The choice and identifying technology is a crucial aspect of education.
I need to be reflective of how technology can make students
feel in the classroom as well.
Any competitive
games can be detrimental to young students who are still developing their study
habits and are becoming better students every day.
Like Anya Kamenetz explains in her article
that
In a highly data-driven classroom, students who struggle may
be made acutely aware, to the percentile, of how far behind the average they
are. This could be enough to trigger stereotype threat, depressing performance
still more. (Kamenetz)
I can see this in my own children who know what level they
are in reading and compare themselves to other student’s ability based on this
information.
Some students take longer
to learn certain subjects and stifling their passion and growth would be
awful.
The value laden aspect is definitely a new thought process
that I will take into account when determining if using technology is
beneficial.
Each technology brings its
own biases and what are the lessons whether implicit or explicit that are being
taught by incorporating it into a lesson.
The limitations of technology and tradeoffs needs to also be
considered.
It there a more concrete way
to teach this lesson as we have learned that being abstract can be harmful to
the lesson and keep students from the zone of proximal development.
Yes, a person can learn about trees and photosynthesis
through cool pictures and models but actually going outside and seeing it would
be more effective.
In Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age
Sherry Turkle states:
“The
web promises to make our world bigger. But as it works now, it also narrows our
exposure to ideas. We can end up in a bubble in which we hear only the ideas we
already know. Or already like.”
This is important to
always remember to go concrete before anything else. What we search for
on the web or what we research will likely give us what we already know and
believe. It is in conversations with classmates and teachers that our
minds open up.
The core of each lesson must be intact without the use of
technology to ensure that technology is not using us.
A student should still be able to complete a
book report without the use of a computer and still know how to research, write,
and evaluate.
I need to always be the guiding light in the classroom to
model the safe, legal, and ethical decisions when choosing technology.
Dr Kruse states in his article “
Implications
of the Nature of Technology for Teaching and Teacher Education”:
“Technologies come with inherent value systems. While these systems sometimes
reflect the values of the user, they more often reflect the values of the
designer and in some contexts may not reflect the value systems of either.”
Cyberbullying must be taught at an early level and examples
shown to the class to discuss.
Discussing with the class examples before they even use social media is
important so that they can identify it when they encounter these problems and
know the steps to take to prevent and seek the help of an adult.
The right to privacy will also have to be taught to
elementary students from the beginning of day one as most have access to a
smart phone.
Letting students know the
ethical dilemma and repercussions of posting someone else’s picture or video
online without their permission.
This
should be incorporated in with the guidance counselors help when talking about
feelings and bullying in general.
Academic dishonesty certainly will be a new topic for
elementary age students but again as they progress into writing reports and citing
sources it is important to learn these skills early.
Examples can be shown as to who gets credit
and how to identify a credible source when using the internet.
The technology leader can help narrow down websites
that are acceptable for use when researching a new animal or country.
Depending on the age group the accuracy can
also be varied but the idea that if what you are saying is directly copied from
a website or paper is an easier concept to explain.
The values don’t end in the classroom though and as Joanne Olson,
et al. showed in her research anything posted online can be seen by students or
parents.
The character counts program is
a standard that must be met at all times.
Olson says that this
includes lessons that focus on the teaching of trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. The program
developers acknowledge that “it is always primarily a parent’s job to teach a
child how to behave and make wise choices, but other institutions and adults
working with young people play critical support roles.” Teachers play a
pervasive role in children’s lives from preschool through high school. Thus,
the character, behavior and judgment of teachers are crucial to the wellbeing
of children and society. (Olson et al.)
This means that a teacher is always on the
front page of the paper and online posts need to be something that could be
seen or said in a classroom.
We are held
to a higher standard and need to be aware of it 24/7.
Even posts from someone else and linked to us
can be used against us to determine whether are values are aligned properly for
the education of children.
The Nature of Technology has many different aspects that
need to be taught in order for technology to be used successfully in the classroom.
I have learned that our learning as teachers
must never end as well because as soon as you think you understand a technology
or how it affects the classroom/society it will change.
Continuing education is important to stay ahead
of these topics because as the teacher we are the leader.
It is imperative that we understand how the
technology works but also how the values, ethics, and philosophies will be intertwined
into our students as a result of it’s use.
Sources
Kamenetz, Anya. “What's At Risk When Schools Focus Too Much
on Student Data?”
KQED, 7 June 2016,
www.kqed.org/mindshift/45396/whats-at-risk-when-schools-focus-too-much-on-student-data.
Olson, Joanne, et al. “Prospective Elementary Teachers Gone
Wild? An Analysis of Facebook Self-Portrayals and Expected Dispositions of
Preservice Elementary Teachers.”
Contemporary Issues in Technology and
Teacher Education, Publisher: Society for Information Technology &
Teacher Education, Waynesville, NC USA, 1 Dec. 2009,
www.learntechlib.org/p/30399/.
Perkins, Drew. “15 Questions To Ask About Tech Integration
In Your Classroom -.”
TeachThought, 18 Mar. 2019,
www.teachthought.com/technology/using-technology-can/.
Waight, N., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2007). The impact of
technology on the enactment of inquiry in atech nology enthusiast’s sixth grade
science classroom. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(1),154–182.
