The Technology Integration Specialist

"21st century learning is about the experience, not about the tools you are using.” (Warlick, 2010)

          In summarizing what a technologist specialist is, I found myself listing different characteristics and traits such as creative, flexible, trainer, mediator, mentor, multifaceted and more. While a list of characteristics is good, I wanted to take my ideas on step further just like I have my students do, and create a visual depiction of my thoughts through a concept map or Mind Map.

 

Today's, students and teachers alike seemed to be born with electronic devices attached to their hands. I know that I personally rely on my smartphone far too often. There are times I wish for simpler times or poor Wi-Fi so I can unplug. However, school should not be the location where students need to unplug or power down.  “73% of Advanced Placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) teachers say cell phones have become part of their classroom teaching and assignments” (Purcell, Heaps, Buchannan, &Friedrich, 2013). If we as teachers are to prepare our students for future post secondary education and computers we need to be utilizing the technology that they use in their personal lives and providing them the skills necessary to be successful citizens in the future. Some of our students only have access to these digital technologies in school. Not providing them with this access reduces the likelihood of successful careers as well as limits them in their career opportunities.

Internet use and adoptions of digital technology in the classroom varies by generation. “The youngest teachers in this group (those under age 35) are the most likely to have students develop or share work on a website, wiki or blog (45% v. 34% of teachers age 55 and older).  They are also more likely than the oldest teachers to have students participate in online discussions (45% v. 32% of teachers age 55 and older) and use collaborative web-based tools such as GoogleDocs to edit work (41% v. 34% of teachers age 55 and older). “ (Purcell, Heaps, Buchannan, & Friedrich, 2013). Socioeconomics, society, culture and geographic locations all additionally affect how we access and utilize technology in our personal lives and in our classrooms.  

Teachers often are concerned over student’s overreliance on electronic devices. Online information gathering (in the form of search engine use) tops the list of the most popular online activities, along with email communications (Purcell, Heaps, Buchannan, & Friedrich, 2013). In fact, teachers in the PEW Research Survey indicated that students equated research with “googling”. So the challenge becomes teaching students to utilize search engine results more effectively and identifying appropriate sources. Research is essential in science and the science classroom. Incorporating lessons and activities in which students are developing research skills becomes an essential task for the science teacher in order to prepare students for future post-secondary education and careers.

References

 Purcell, K., Heaps, A., Buchannan, J., & Friedrich, L. (2013, February 28). Part III: Bringing Technology into the Classroom. Retrieved from PEW Internet Research: http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/02/28/part-iii-bringing-technology-into-the-classroom/
Warlick, D. (2010, August 16). Technology for 21st Century Learning: Part 1. Retrieved from 2 Cents Worth of Seeking the Shakabuku: http://2cents.onlearning.us/?p=2712