Evaluating Trends - Digital Technology

Week 30 - Evaluating Trends - Digital Technology

What:

The impact of digital technology in the high school classroom has moved so fast in the last few years it is hard to imagine how we coped without the aid of digital Technology in the past. Teachers who use Google Classroom in their daily practice will swear by how valuable a learning and organisational tool it has become in teachers, students and even parents lives. I use it all the time to make announcements, set assignments, put up resources, send out reminders and give students feedback it has been an organisational game changer for me and my students.

So what:

So how do we help our students to function in this digitally rich society, whilst still teaching fundamental skills and without losing teacher-student relationships (Hattie, J. 2009) The challenge we face is how do we use digital technology in the classroom without doing ourselves out of a job one-day. Students must still be taught how to use digital technology successfully. Some use it for research only others use it as a word processor but most use it to connect with their friends. Teachers can teach students how to use digital technology to collaborate with others in their communities and in the world. There is also the fact that there are a number of students who do not have the internet at home, do not have their own devices and have to be loaned devices at school. So as a teacher we have to look at all these factors before making all the learning in class digital.

Now What:

As a school we have to move forward with these new trends and thus in order to take our kids along with us the school has had to invest in a large number of devices to provide for those students who cannot afford their own devices. The devices were issued through the House system in the school with Deans connecting with the families to ensure students were not left out.

References.

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical Reflection for Nursing and the Helping Professions: A User's Guide.