Me and Technology
Hello everyone! My name is Natalia May and I am a senior at California State University, Northridge. I am in my first semester of student teaching at A.E. Wright middle school in Calabasas.
Like most schools now, the seventh graders I work with use their laptops for schoolwork. The rise of technology in education, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has changed the way the classroom functions and students learn. I think that there are benefits to students having access to technology in the classroom. I think it can be convenient for things like note taking, projects/presentations, research, and managing assignments through platforms like Canvas and Google Classroom. Additionally, using technology in the classroom can also prepare them for the real world in a way. My high school used iPads so completing the assignments taught me how to use Microsoft platforms and how to search for reliable and academic sources online which has been extremely useful in university and the real world. All of these examples are the ways that technology should be utilized in an academic setting; however, I have noticed that there are downsides to having technology in the classroom. Other than the distractions and occasional inconvenience of using it, students have become more reliant on technology and the internet to do the work for them; I found that this is affecting students of all grade level, including college students. Instead of trying to come up with their own answer or using critical thinking skills, students automatically turn to Google for the answer. That is not learning. Learning requires students to actually think about the question or what they are being asked to do so when they find the answer online in a matter of seconds, that learning opportunity is taken away from them. Technology is what is relevant for these students so there is no point in trying to avoid it, but there has to be a better way to implement it in the classroom.
Hey Natalia!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you in which technology has been used as a replacement in learning-- students no longer think critically and depend on fast, easy answers. "That is not learning," is such a powerful statement; I absolutely agree! It is so important to recognize this a problem, that way, a solution is found.
From my personal experience, creating a balance allows space for technology to be a helpful tool in the classroom. I do this by emphasizing that technology in my teaching is used to enhance the learning experience, as opposed to be a reliable source for all things. This might look like doing some projects online and some projects hands-on, or as you say, some research online and some in the school library. Technology has so much power in the classroom and the proper balance creates an engaging classroom. Really loved your take on this, thank you for sharing!
Hey Natalia,
ReplyDeleteYou make great points about the over-reliance on technology by students. What I think it comes down to is striking a balance with the use of technology in the classroom, as I see most aspects of classwork being done virtually now. I think it's difficult to ask students to stop relying on google for answers when the majority of their work process is rooted online. For example, with writing an essay, the writing itself is usually done online through google docs, and the research is also usually done online through school databases. With so much of the process done virtually, I think students start to feel more comfortable using the internet for topic angles, inspiration, and even answers, as it's what they refer to most often.
I think having students hand-write analyses of texts or even just refer to a physical copy of class material instead of a digital copy will help alleviate this over-reliance on technology, as they are allowed and encouraged to come up with their own ideas as they physically engage with their research and writing. Once these practices are well-developed, then I think students can go on to more technology-integrated classwork, as they will have the foundation to work with.