Alright boys and girls – please open your iPad's to
page 3. Wait... What?
If you were born prior to the new millennium, this is
not something you would have heard your teacher announce to the class. However,
the increased use of technology in the classroom has become commonplace over
the course of the past decade (Anstey & Bull, 2006).
While students are still encouraged to read as often
as possible, physical books are being considered an old literacy. Classroom book
collections are dwindling, and school libraries as we once knew them are becoming
obsolete. So, why is this happening?
Within the past few years, technological learning
programs have started to take the place of traditional literacy practices. Where
students once turned the page of a book from the class collection, students are
now reading hundreds of new books with the swipe of a finger. Not only are
students improving their literacy skills, they are enhancing their
comprehension as well.
As an aspiring teacher, it is hard to see the downside to the increased use of iPads and learning software in the classroom. Students now enter kindergarten already knowing how to maneuver an iPad, often better than the adults in the room. Why not take advantage of this? With a few class-wide tutorials, students pick up on the practices required to utilize such technology surprisingly fast.
Once students develop these literacy practices, it’s
smooth sailing. Most educational software programs, such as Raz-Kids, offer
individualized accounts so that students can progress at their own rate and
personalize their settings to specific needs (Bernard, 2017). And that, my
friends, is technological differentiation at its finest.
Now I’m not saying we should rid our classrooms of all
hard copy books… Besides, books are full of stories and information that have
the same meaning as they did 10, 20, even 30 years ago. But our job, as
teachers, is to encourage the use of these ever-evolving literacy practices and
technologies to prepare students for what they will encounter in the real world.
I’d appreciate hearing some of the negative
implications you’ve experienced incorporating technology into the classroom!
To learn more about technology in the classroom, check out this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzSNdxsfk0Q
References
Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning multiliteracies:
Changing times, changing literacies. Kensington Gardens, SA: International
Reading Association.
Bernard, Z. (2017). Here's how technology is shaping
the future of education. Business
Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-technology-is-shaping-the-future-of-education-2017-12#technology-is-providing-a-way-for-learning-models-to-become-increasingly-personalized-1
Crouch, E. (2013). iPads
in the Classroom [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzSNdxsfk0Q
Great post! I really enjoyed reading this. I do think technology is great to use in our classrooms, but I also think it is so important to have students still reading hard copies of books. Personally, I cannot read articles, books, etc on a device. I need the physical printed text in my hands. I feel that when I read it on a device, I do not comprehend the material. Now, I'm sure our students feel differently because of the technologically advanced world that they have been brought up in. Technology is great, when it works. As educators, we can't solely rely on technology to teach our lessons. While technology should be used to enhance our lessons, it should not be the main focus. I believe that if technology is the main way in which a lesson is going to be taught, a teacher needs to have a back-up plan...technology does not always work when we want it to!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post Erynn! Technology is amazing and transformative these days. It should be utilized in the classroom to enhance literacy, but I am with Kristen in that it shouldn’t be relied on exclusively. When Tech goes awry it’s important to have that back up and it’s healthy for children to have the feeling of a book in their hands to disconnect from a screen every now and again. I still feel something magical about walking into a book store and reading the old fashioned way! Gosh I sound old!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Erynn! I completely agree with you that teachers should be encouraging the technological skills students have already begun to develop prior to entering the classroom. Seeing students work with apps such as Raz-Kids and Xtra Math have truly opened my eyes to how amazing these ever-changing technological resources are. The only downside I have found so far is that sometimes I find myself struggling to use some of these devices, but often have students who can help! It is fun when students can teach you a thing or two as well!
ReplyDeleteErynn, I liked how you brought up the point about technological differentiation. I have previously thought that one of the downsides to using the same technological programs on the iPad or computer for all students is not a great learning tool for all students. For some students, those programs are not going to be the best learning tool for them. However, Raz-Kids sounds like an improved app that I would consider using in my future classroom if it can be personalized to each student’s needs.
ReplyDeleteErynn, I love your post! Technology is a wonderful (and secretive) way to differentiate for the students. It takes away a piece that may make some students feel self-conscious as they are reading or working on a skill through individualized instruction. One downside I have found with technology is that it is expensive. It is a wonderful resource if your district is willing to invest in it. Otherwise, it is not something that you can go out and buy to supplement your classroom. Right now I only have two tablets in my classroom, which makes it difficult for all of the students to use them frequently. I have also noticed a big difference with the type of technology. A district may get tablets that are not as reliable as others, which adds in a whole other layer of difficulty when working with them. My tablets are essentially desktops because they have to be plugged in at all times. This limits my students' use of them and flexible seating when using them. They often turn off and take a long time to reboot. Technology is wonderful if you have enough of it and it works properly!
ReplyDeleteYour post is great! I see myself falling into this a well. As much as we want our students to understand how to use technology, sometimes it can be to much. For myself, ever since they created the Kindle and Ebooks I have not bought a hard cover book since. I have found that using Kindle and Ebooks actually make it easier to navigate through the text. You just typed what you are looking for in the search bar and BOOM, it takes you to the page. However, students should mostly rely on hardcover texts books instead of IPads.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post and I love how you are looking for something negative about technology in the classroom while this whole time I was only thinking of the good. The negative I find with technology in the classroom is lack of knowledge the student needs to have for spelling and hand writing. In 5th grade in my school everything is done on Chromebooks and the students no long hand in any work on paper. With that they are able to spell check everything allowing them to easily misspell words and not care because spell check will fix it for them. This practice will hurt them down the road when it comes to reading and writing more in school and in the work place.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! As a lover of picture books, I will never stop collecting and adding to my classroom library! Even though tech is great, iPads are awesome, and there are audio books for students to enjoy, nothing can replace a good old fashioned read aloud - at least in my opinion! I read a book to my class every day after lunch and they genuinely look forward to it - I love it!
ReplyDeleteThe only technology my students have access to in our classroom is the Smartboard and the two student laptops I have set up. One constant issue I have is the fact that my students are not independent with the laptops. Of course, they are young and it comes with the territory, but I find that I'm constantly having to stop what I'm doing to help with the laptops!
What a way to grab our attention at the start of your blog post! I like that you asked us to reflect on some negative sides of technology. I agree with Amy, I myself, only think of the positive aspects of technology...or at least I try! I think its useful for students to learn how to navigate technology, however, I definitely see some negative aspects of it. For example, I'm always curious about the effects of children focusing on looking at a screen. I think RazKids is great! But I've also seen how excited students are to walk into the library and pick up a physical book, go searching on the shelves, etc. While mobile libraries are exciting and engaging...so are physical books! A possible negative: if or when the moment comes when technology fails/Internet is down. I was teaching a math lesson a few weeks ago, and the application/smartboard was not cooperating. I had to completely scrap it and do something else! While technology can be helpful, we also have to mindful of what to do when or if it does fail.
ReplyDeleteLike most things in life, I think it's all about balance. Technology can be great and a useful tool, but it does have its shortcomings. Think about how often you need to restart one of your devices - now imagine what that does to a child when their device freezes or glitches during an exam? So many lessons, especially at the middle school level and above have become lectures centered around powerpoints. We still need there to be a personal and interactive component to our teaching. Apps like RAZ and Xtra math can be wonderful, but I know of kids who hated the timer on xtra math and it actually gave them anxiety being counted down. SMARTboards have made lessons much more engaging and interactive, and internet access has allowed education to reach beyond the limits of classrooms and textbooks. I think technology has improved my teaching, but I'll never be 100% tech, paper texts and pencils are still vital to teaching.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of differentiation that educational technology resources are able to offer is amazing, and definitely a key contributor of what makes them so attractive to the teaching profession. I feel that often we think of technology as "taking over" our classrooms, when in fact there is a reason why it has become a common practice in schools across the country. The experiences I have had when working with reading comprehension software, such as Lexia, has been nothing short of positive, and that is due to its ability to produce growth for students through it's ability to differentiate.
ReplyDeleteI loved your thoughts on this Erynn! Technology is evolving and becoming such a norm for children. My one year old nephew takes my smartphone and holds it to his ear, he also takes my laptop and starts hitting on the keys! I find this scary yet intriguing, when we were growing up we never saw this and we had to gradually adapt and learn how to use this new technology. Meanwhile kids are learning how to use it so quickly simply because it’s what they see every day! Technology is a great use in the classroom when it is used to enhance their learning. Like you’ve said, I sometimes think that this generation only seems to be using kindles and other online books. But, I’ve seen students so excited for the scholastic book fairs and the new Dogman books in the library. This makes me realize that students aren’t as dependent on technology as I once thought!
ReplyDeleteI agree that ipads/technology are taking over classroom libraries. Don’t get me wrong, nothing beats being able to hold a real book and physically being able to turn the pages. It is a little difficult to see the downside of using technology for reading, especially when there are programs like Myon that are so beneficial for students. Even I love being able to carry my small lightweight kindle with me everywhere I go and be able to have access to any book that I want to. Although I do love have a really physical book it is nice to being to have everything that technology offers.
ReplyDelete