“Technology refusal”
two words that made me cringe at the slightest thought of its existence. I had
to take a step back and seriously think about this because I have been so
engrossed in technology for the last six years I could not imagine a classroom
where technology was not incorporated and/or was refused. Understanding the
difference between the abuses of technology in the classroom versus a
successful incorporation and infiltration of technology into this setting is
vital in understanding how to use technology to guide students to become
successful in a digital age. As quoted in Chapter Three: You Won’t Be Needing
Your Laptops Today by: Kevin Leander, “[…] technologies reduce the physical
labor of teachers to communicate written information, and they enhance the
teacher’s authoritative position” (p. 58-59). Some educators may argue that the
usage of technology creates a clear divide between teacher and student. Unlike
the whiteboard and overhead projector that offer a common surface for both
students and teachers alike, the usage of technology can be thought of as a
power differential because these devices are typically controlled by the teacher
in charge. However, classroom sets of iPads and laptops I believe will
dismantle that power divide within the classroom that technology may create.
Taking a look at the
larger picture, there are times when technology incorporation can lead to
failed lesson(s) and as educators it is important to take a step back and
evaluate how we choose to use technology within the classroom setting. For
example, I had created a power point presentation for one of my classes and had
emailed it from my home computer to my school computer. I got to school the
next day and we just so happened to have lost power during that school period
and I was left to think on my toes. I alternated the lesson from what I had
originally planned and did something a little different with my classes but, as
much as I am an advocate for technology infiltration in the classroom there are
moments like these that make me regret relying so heavily on these
technologies. Anything at any point in time can occur and can cause these
technologies not to work, and because of that we as educators must always have
a plan b to fall back on.
There are very few
moments in my classroom that I choose not to use technology, all of which I can
probably count on one hand but, these days are intended to bring out skills in
which technologies have not been able to assist students in developing. The
more research and professional development classes I’ve taken based off of
various technologies, I’ve found that these technologies actually increase
student engagement giving them a sense of ease and comfort. For example, I’ve
begun incorporating Google Docs into my classroom on a daily basis. I find that
giving students the opportunity to write on a laptop, iPad, or desktop computer
allows them to feel a sense of unity and gives them a step up upon exiting high
school- everyone is for a lack of a better word, equal. This Google Docs
platform changes the dynamic of the classroom, allowing the teacher access to
student work at the click of a button from anywhere that has Internet access. One
of the upsides to Google Docs is that you can see all the revisions students
have done since they began the document, essentially you can watch it transform
before your eyes and this is an amazing experience. If you’ve never
incorporated Google Docs into your classroom, I would look to do a research
project or writing assignment where students use that platform instead of
Microsoft word.
For the sake of this
assignment, the computer becomes the center of the lesson creating a means of
unity amongst the students. Leander
expresses, “This experience of being “with” the teacher is central to the
discourse of the laptops interfering with the classroom interaction space, as
is the idea of “unity” (p.67). There are
moments in the classroom when I do wish students had longer attention spans and
could focus on one thing instead of multitasking. One of the downfalls of
technology is that students are not able to focus as well and continuously struggle
with the constant desire to be hooked, having their interests sparked- receiving
instant gratification. We as educators struggle on a daily basis trying to
figure out how to spark their interest and grab their attention for the
duration of the entire lesson. At times, it is increasingly difficult
especially when students are caught up with something that occurred outside of
the classroom. They lose interest, then focus, and then they become disruptive
and there is no way to pull them back in to the lesson.
“The idea that teachers
might, “keep doing what [they’re] doing,” and that technology might “enhance”
or be an “outgrowth” of the curriculum, is essentially a guarantee that the social space of schooling will be
saturated by the relations set forth in current curricular practice, […]” (p.
73). But, most importantly it is essential that we as educators “keep on,
keepin’ on” and do what we do best- teach. To leave you all with some powerful
words, the best teachers are those who tell you where to look, but don’t tell
you what to see.
Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (Eds.). (2013). New
Literacies Reader: Educational Perspectives (pp. 57- 98). United States: Peter
Lang Publishing.
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