Introduction
In the article by George Posner, “Analyzing the Curriculum,” he explains frames; which are the limitations and constraints on teaching and curriculum implementation. There are many frame factors that influence everyday teaching. These factors include; temporal, physical, political or legal, organizational, personal, economic and cultural. This writer will address only the physical frame. The physical frame includes the physical things needed for teaching and learning. The physical things that this writer will address are the physical frames pertaining to technology; computer, the hardware, software, and any other technologies needed to implement curriculum or to use to support teaching and learning (Posner, 2004).
The Problem
As education continues to change, the technology needed to support learning is lagging far behind. Many states are in the process of transitioning to Common Core Standards, which were designed to better prepare students for the real world. Teachers are left to implement them with very few options. Education needs to be much more innovative and take advantage of the advancements technology can offer to teaching and learning. Technology can greatly impact student achievement and success in teaching and learning. In this time in education technology serves as a changing tool that impact our students at higher levels.
Today’s kids are on cell phones, home computers, internet, video games, and so on, they are use to fast pace of technology. There minds thrive on it and they get bored in the traditional classroom setting. Educators face tremendous challenges in schools today, and student’s needs are increasingly demanding. Technology is a way to lighten the load, to allow us to be creative as teachers, and to engage our students in a more productive and exciting way.
Common Core Standards are going to shift instructional activities and instruction from rote activities, memorization, and factual content to higher levels of cognitive demand. These demands will require students to think deeply, analyze, and summarize information. Students will need to spend more time on instructional activities that will lead to deeper knowledge. Technology can assist in leveraging time, change the implementation of learning activities, provide opportunities for more rigorous instruction. Technology in lessons can aide students in mastering factual content in less time and can enhance current practices. Teachers can even video tape their lessons and upload them onto sites like Youtube, then students can view them at home, to help them complete their homework (Gullen, 2013). There are many simple ways that teachers can use technology to make small changes that can have a huge impact on student learning.
Technology and its Affects on Diversity and Education
Teachers need to make learning meaningful for their students, especially those with diverse backgrounds, while they instruct them through grade-level curriculum. Students who are learning a second language need to have a context for learning, a way to connect their prior-knowledge to new knowledge. Students who are learning English as a second language usually struggle with basic display questioning. Technology can be used in many different ways when implementing a lesson. Technology can also support learning throughout a lesson in order to increase engagement. It is beneficial to incorporate Web 2.0 tools into the curriculum for students to use while learning or presenting information would highly increase their learning experiences. Technology can greatly increase opportunities for students while learning and practicing new concepts.
There are hundreds of Web 2.0 tools that teachers and students can use in the classroom. The following are a list of some Web 2.0 tools that this writer has used, also a brief explanation of each.
Animoto-making videos using images
Bubble.us-a free application that can be used to brainstorm
Museum Box-a way to present history
Prezi-a presentation tool
Storyjumper- bringing student’s stories to life
Storybird-building a story with images
Wallwisher-online bulletin board
Wiki-a collaborative website, where all users can edit the content
Technology Can Increase the Quality of Education
Technology and Web 2.0 tools can be used in a wide array of ways to increase interest and quality of curriculum taught to students. Technology helps a student internalize their understanding as well as aide them in listening actively, which increases engagement. There must be opportunity to negotiate meaning, work with other students, buddy buzz, partner think, pair, and share. Opportunities using technology give students the chance to experience learning in another way as well as increase their time to practice or show new learning. Technology can be used to assist in these activities to keep students engaged as well as make learning more meaningful.
Using Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Differentiating instruction for diverse learners is an important part of their success mastering key concepts being taught. If the instruction is correlated to the students’ tendency for learning and the students are motivated then learning will be more successful. This is why teachers need to adopt a flexible teaching approach based on their students’ tendencies for learning. Students can be intrinsically motivated to learn a language based on the quality of teaching that is being implemented in the classroom (Ellis, 2008). Technology incorporated in lessons increases students’ motivation to learn and increases their responsibility in their own learning.
Technology Can Increase Student Engagement and Scaffolding
Students need to be actively involved throughout an entire lesson and when this happens then students are much more likely to stay engaged throughout instruction. Diverse learners or students that are learning a second language need to feel comfortable taking risks with new concepts they are learning. Student engagement is all about keeping students involved so they will participate and seek to have opportunities to validate their learning. Scaffolding-the idea that specialized instructional supports need to be in place in order to best facilitate learning when students are first introduced to a new subject (Lewis, 2010).Technology and Web 2.0 tools can support learning and help assist teachers and students in the learning process.
Laptops are a tool that can benefit student achievement and their attitude towards school. There was a Maine Learning Technology Initiative that found that students had more interest in school and learning if they were able to use a laptop for school related tasks. It was also found that student motivation and engagement increased with one to one computing. The North Carolina Laptop Project, where students had their own laptops for schoolwork, had a positive impact on their overall attendance. There was a similar program in Beaufort County, West Virginia, where students were active participants for two years and those students had higher language, reading, and mathematics scores. However, the strongest evidence was in the area of dimensions or traits of writing (Shapley, Sheehan, Maloney, Caranikas, & Walker, 2011).
Counterarguments/Negative Effects of Technology
The one challenge that comes with technology is keeping current with the protocols. Software and technology is constantly growing and changing, and one has to be able to keep up. Even though the Internet is a great tool for students to do research, it has been determined that it hurts their attention spans, this was found in two surveys completed by Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. Their survey found video games, music, film, television and text messaging can be harmful to student’s academic and social development. The research also found that students need to use multiple methods of research, not just search engines on the Internet. 84% in the survey felt that overall the Internet and digital search tools were positive. However, the counter to that is 87% feel these same technologies has created generations of students who have short attention spans. 64% felt that these tools create more of a distraction academically, than a benefit. Another negative was, most teachers. Also, teachers universally agreed that student’s digital researching skills were poor instead of excellent. 3 out of 5 teachers felt that technology (Quillen, & Ash, 2012).
Conclusion
Technology has many benefits to teaching and learning, but there are also some challenges and downfalls. Technology can give many unique experiences to students and open the horizon for interaction with students all over the country. Students who have experiences with technology broaden their learning experiences and have unique opportunities to use these different tools in the future. Technology can open the door to many different changes in the classroom, directly affecting how teachers teach and students learn.
References
Ellis, R. (2008). Principles of instructed second language acquisition. CAL digest, Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/.../digest/digest_pdfs/Instructed2ndLangFinalWeb.pdf
Gullen, K. (2013). Saving Time with Technology. Educational Leadership, 70(6), 63.
Lewis, B. (2010). Scaffolding. Retrieved from http://k6educators.about.com/od/educationglossary/g/scaffolding.htm
Posner, G. (2004). Analyzing the curriculum. (3rd ed., Vol. Ch. 8, pp. 191-215). New York: Teachers College Press. Retrieved from http://www.jeffbloom.net/z-eci696docs/a-Posner-AnalyzingCurr-Ch8.pdf
Quillen, I., & Ash, K. (2012). Digital Tools Seen As Good and Bad, Surveys Suggest. Education Week, 32(11), 17.
Shapley, K., Sheehan, D., Maloney, C., & Caranikas-Walker, F. (2011). Effects of Technology Immersion on Middle School Students' Learning Opportunities and Achievement. Journal Of Educational Research, 104(5), 299-315. doi:10.1080/00220671003767615