Reflection: Technology in the Classroom

The 21st century classroom is one where technology must be used as a learning tool. After taking a course designed to teach the use of blogs, wikis and podcasts, I now feel comfortable using these tools in my own classroom. I now understand that, “Teachers must be skilled in technology application and knowledgeable about using technology to support instruction and to enhance and extend student learning. The mere ability to operate various hardware and software does not constitute an acceptable level of proficiency.” (Otero, Peressini, Meymaris, Ford, Carvin, Harlow, et al, 2005, p. 9). After designing multiple lessons, having conversations with professionals in my field, and using various technologies firsthand, my 21st century skills are ready to be fully utilized in my classroom.

Understanding how students today learn has truly been an eye-opening experience because “today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors” (Prensky, 2001, p. 3). Because today’s learners are different from a generation ago, teachers must continue to evolve to meet the needs of their students. As students are exposed to technology at earlier ages, lessons need to be changed to incorporate the use of technology to engage those students. Students today, “…thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to ‘serious’ work” (Prensky, 2001, p. 4). The learning style of today’s student requires teachers to try to copy these types of learning styles, and that means using technology. Teachers must combine the old content with new digital and technological systems.

As schools change, so does the role of the teacher. In the past, teachers were supposed to impart their knowledge on the students. Many students were not exposed to information until they heard it from their parents, the radio, or their teachers. However, today’s students can find a world of information on any topic at the mere click of a mouse. The teacher no longer needs to impart wisdom on the children; the role of the educators has become very much the facilitator as students essentially foster independent learning opportunities (Laureate, 2008). With a learner centered style of education, the possibilities in the classroom are endless.

After understanding the possibilities with the use of technology, I have two new goals to achieve. My first goal is to try to modify my district’s current teaching standards so that they reflect 21st century learning skills. I will introduce the concepts presented through The Partnership for 21st Century Skills as well as practices I have implemented within my classroom to the district technology committee. I will also continue to transform my classroom to model these practices on a daily basis. Through this committee I also have the means to pilot new curriculum models that implement 21st century concepts. My second goal is to bring more technology into my classroom in the form of computers, LabQuest probeware, and the use of cellular phones.


Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008) Transforming the classroom with technology : Part 3 [Motion picture] Baltimore: Author.

Otero, V. , Perssini, D. , Meymaris, K. A., Ford, P. , Garvin, T., Harlow, D., et al. (2005, February). Integrating technology into teacher education: A critical framework for implementing reform. Journal of Teacher Education. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://jte.sagepub.com
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the horizon, 9(5).

Embrace Technology, Don't Ban It

Visit this hyperlink to hear my podcast about the use of technology in the classroom!

http://mills.goshen.schoolfusion.us/modules/podcast/showPodcast.phtml?profile_id=29563&podcast_id=12839&msg_notify=Podcast+Uploaded.&regenRss=t&sessionid=ed2dc0df01fb46f014618ec86394ff65

21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ is a website whose mission is to “Serve as a catalyst to position 21st century skills at the center of US K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders”. This group of people are taking a proactive approach to ensuring students graduating from United States schools have the skill set to be competitive in a global market. The site offers video clips from schools who are successfully implementing 21st century skills into the classroom. I am surprised to see all the corporate sponsors on the site who have taken P21’s comprehensive 3-day training on their framework. They also offer a link to professional development assistance.

I do wonder if this is the “next” bandwagon schools will jump onto. I have not been teaching long, but I have realized that school districts jump from one “great” idea to another without much follow through. I agree that our students need to learn skills like those shown in the graphic found at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/index.php; however I do not know that this is going to be the best possible way to get there.

The idea is there, but I did not see where the funding was coming from. Maybe it is coming from all the corporate sponsors who have joined the site. There are currently eleven states who have committed to being part of the 21st century skills site and the only one near me is South Dakota. They have created a P21 Advisory Council, consisting of business leaders, legislators and state education leaders whose purpose, among others, is to develop plans for looking at holes in the content curriculum, deciding on professional development activities and redesigning assessments. I understand the need for business leaders and legislators, but I hope the education leaders are the ones most involved in what and how content and skills are taught in the classroom.

When Am I Ever Gonna Use This?

For many educators, web logs (blogs) are a new, misunderstood, and sometimes frightening prospect. However many of our students have been using blogging, in the form of social networking sites, for years. The idea of including a useful blog in the classroom can be a daunting task.

In a sophomore level Biology class, a blog can become an amazing tool for student engagement and learning. In my classroom, I plan to utilize blogging for a variety of tasks. The simplest use of my blog will be to update students and parents about what goes on in the classroom on a weekly basis, including examples of student work. This will give parents a window into what their child is studying, and it will give absent students at least a basic form of what content they missed. The more exciting aspects of my blog will include class discussions regarding some of the current issues surrounding life sciences. In the first semester we get to study the newly forming antibiotic resistance by bacteria. The students will have the opportunity to discuss what they know, what they have researched and what questions they still have about proper use or misuse of antibiotics. This will lead to a cooperative style learning and give every student the chance to be “heard” equally. I am also going to post links to websites that have online laboratory exercises, videos or review games that go along with the content we are studying. The Biology blog will allow the students to expand their learning outside of my classroom walls.