Concluding my EDU782 Flight

Flight Attendants, Prepare For Landing... 

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Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our final decent on our EDU782 flight, please make sure that your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure that your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat infront of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you for choosing Technology in STEM.

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Didn't we just begin this course? How is it already over? It is amazing how fast time flies when you are having fun and learning. 

This course brought me new perspectives on life in general - not just STEM and not just education. I am constantly finding ways to bring different aspects into my parenting and into the life of my 4.5 year old; especially since this is most likely the way that she will experience education in her lifetime. Being that she is an only child, it is sometimes difficult to find ways for her to collaborate with others; however, I now create those situations within our small family and our extended family. I now ask her everyday what she created that day. We focus on communicating to each other whenever possible and I have exposed her to different apps that allow her to think critically. We aren't completely there, but we are working on it!

I have also promoted collaboration within students during my work with teacher teams. I suppose I always assumed that they had students working in groups and collaborating, but it is often either students "working in groups" or direct instruction. My subtle questions with teams has already gotten wheels turning as they are coming to me with more questions on how to execute it. 

My teammate and I also created "Potty PD" this January. In essence it is a one-sheet page that is posted in the teachers' bathroom next to the toilet that they can read it while they are "busy." The format has been the same - data, knowledge, and action. This past issue was focused on Creativity and I gave different ways that you can incorporate it into your classroom. One of which was having students take three minutes of silence, free from distractions (including technology, paper, or writing utensils), and think about a topic before beginning it... I walked into a classroom this week and they were doing just that. :) 

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Incorporating Technology is Not Always Easy

There are so many factors that come into play that make it difficult: time to explore the technology and understand at least the basics, allocating resources to allow for the appropriate technology, district structures and policies, who to go to when technology just doesn't work or you need to troubleshoot... and those are just to name a few. 

In my opinion, though, I believe that the most difficult aspect is actually one's mindset. This can be a teacher's mindset, a student's mindset, a parent's mindset, or even an administrator's mindset. The two that can make the most difference off the bat though is a teacher's and society's mindsets. Let me explain:

A Teacher's Mindset

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Teachers often fear that they will lose complete control of their classroom if they decide to bring technology into the classroom. They worry that students' attention will not be on them and instead engaged in something else. They fear that they wont know how troubleshoot or that it will take them off of their pacing calendar. This is quite difficult for a teacher to grasp, but they have to let it go. Teachers need to take a risk and try, even if it is by just substitution at first. However, they cannot live in that realm. Just like technology does, they need to continue to evolve with it and try something new and a little more challenging. 

Society's Mindset

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Society often complain about how school isn't the same now as it was back when they were kids, and they are right. It isn't. It is far better. As long as it is being implemented correctly, they should see how technology takes students out of the four walls in the classroom and into situations that they would never be able to experience even on a field trip. Technology allows students to have a voice, think critically, and create in completely different ways than ever before. Technology isn't necessarily "screen time" that many believe it to be; it is "engage time." If we can change society's mindset of technology, I believe that we can promote students to be "creators" instead of solely "consumers." If implemented correctly, students wont be distracted by the technology; they'll be so engaged in it that you wont be able to get them to take a break from it.

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TECHNOLOGY OR NO TECHNOLOGY?

Just like everything in education, technology should be met with a balance. I believe that educators should consider the following questions when determining if technology should be used in the classroom:

• Are you afraid that you are going to break it? 
• If yes, stop worrying and ask for help. Take a chance and try. Continue to the next question.
• If no, continue to the next question.
• Will it just be used as substitution to a worksheet you would have otherwise copied?
• If yes, you probably don't need to incorporate technology unless you have reached your maximum amount of copies for the time period.
• If no, continue to the next question
• Will it be used to challenge the students?
• If yes, implement.
• If no, how could you be challenging students?
• Are you hoping to allow students to become innovative and develop creative thinking skills?
• If yes, implement. But consider designing sabbaticals within the duration of the project for students to let their mind wander, think differently, and to promote even deeper thinking.
• If no, then why are you doing it?
• If students are collaborating, will you want a shared space for the work?
• If yes, implement... or don't, but have an organized plan for students in case one is absent. 
• If no, you don't need technology.
• Do you want students to be able to extend their learning outside of your classroom?
• If yes, implement.
• If no, why not?
• Do you feel like your students actually need a break from technology?
• If yes, give it to them. You can still provide amazing and deep learning opportunities to students without using technology.
• If no, implement.

I feel as though I can continue questions similar to this over and over again, but I hope you get the picture - there are times and places for technology. You just need to use your best judgment.