After watching the Did You Know 2014 video, I realized how important technology

has become in our everyday lives. As the video explains, it has changed everything
we do from the way we communicate to how we get around. The world is ever
evolving and people need to accept the use of technology. The top ten jobs in our
society did not even exist in the year 2004. It is amazing but for the first time in
history we have four generations of people working together. Each of these
generations is very different and especially in the way in which they like to
communicate with one another (Esteves, 2014). The way people think and act has
changed so drastically over the years that information from the recent past may no
longer be relevant or significant. The world is getting so competitive that every
second new technologies are coming out that change the way people act and make
decisions. The hope is that these technologies that are being invented will make
peoples lives easier and more efficient however, it is not always the case. At times,
the use of technology depends on the benefits that it provides to people.
When reflecting on how I chose which technology to use for specific teaching
purposes, I found it quite difficult to come up with an answer. Since technology is
ever changing, it is difficult to stay up to date and making the choice of using
particular technologies can be overwhelming because of the wide selection.
However, Stanford (2003) suggests that lesson planning should involve different
activities to reinforce the materials being taught so that we can reach the diverse
learning styles of our students. When modern technology first made its appearance
into the schools, it was faced with instant opposition. Teachers like the rest of society
feared what they did not know. Initially, technology in the classroom was prohibited
as it was difficult for teachers to control. Since educators were seen as the sources
of knowledge, they did not want to lose their titles to technology therefore, they
banned any technological device that gave students access to information. The first
appearance of technology that I can remember in my classroom was the banning of
cell phones. Since the original cell phones were designed to only make calls, teacher
did not want students communicating with one another on tests or assignments. The
cell phone progressed over time and as the SMART phone developed, so did the
enforcement to ban cell phones. Teachers feared that students would always be in
contact with one another and that they would share answers. On the contrary,
Bevevino, Dengel, & Adams (1999) suggest that students being in contact with each
other would help learners construct their own knowledge through social interactions
and collaboration. How the times have changed as we now encourage students to
bring their own devices so that they can construct their own knowledge and share
their ideas with others over the Internet. There is also an increase in sites and apps
that allow for teacher-student interaction during class where a students cell phone is
their key to interactive lessons.
The next phase that technology brought into the classroom was the initiation of
social media. At first, it was designed to help students socialize but the design soon
morphed into a networking of social circles. Users could now keep in touch with
people that were all over the world. Facebook was a tool that allowed people to
reunite with lost friends, family and acquaintances. As Facebook made its
appearance so did cyber bullying. This new form of bullying soon became
ammunition for teachers in support of banning technology in the classroom.
Educators now had a new serious dilemma that changed the policies around safe

schools and Internet safety. Not only was cyber bullying a major issue in schools, but
Facebook users were also responsible for many school fights and inappropriate
postings.
As new information about the Internet became available, educators had a new job to
teach elementary and secondary students how to use the technology and to
decipher which information on the Internet is accurate versus inaccurate or false.
Teachers were now scrambling to figure out the technology that was here to stay.
The technology was transforming so rapidly that educators did not have enough time
to adapt and once they acquired the technologies in schools, it was often outdated.
For years to come, educators from different schools struggled whether or not to
incorporate digital literacy into their teaching practices. A common example of this
was teaching students that Wikipedia was not an accredited source of information
though some may argue that this is changing as Wikis now have verified sources
attached to their articles. As part of the culture shift, more people are starting to
adapt to 21st century learning theories however, there are still some people that are
very opposed to the change. Carpendale, Mller, & Bibok (2008) suggest that during
the formal operational stage, children must develop the ability to think abstractly and
develop skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning.
These skills can all be learned from incorporating 21st century competencies into our
lessons about digital literacy by giving students the opportunity to problem solve and
discuss with their peers. Some educators are still frustrated that they are teaching
students how to use the technology rather than focusing on the lessons that they
hoped students would learn.
This new access to information and technology led to schools adopting a Bring Your
Own Device policy. If students are able to use their own technologies, then teachers
can focus on the lessons rather than the functions of the technology. Since there is
an overwhelming amount of technologies that are accessible to students, educators
are now encouraging people to take advantage of the resources that are around
them. According to Piaget (1936) students should be able to build knowledge
through experiences. If students are able to use their own devices, then they will
have different experiences that they can all build upon. Educators are also currently
faced with new issues that make sure these tools are accessible to all. Since not all
students can afford modern technology, it is now up to the schools to support distant
education where students can connect to information outside the four walls of their
classroom. This instant access to information is also plagued with the fact that
plagiarism is becoming a more common and serious issue. Students can now use
technology for example a Google search in which they can find an essay or
assignment that relates to the problem that they are trying to discuss. One may
argue that it is not that there is an increase in plagiarism, but that technology has
allowed for easier detection.
Over the years I have grown as an educator and my reluctance in using technology
has slowly turned to acceptance where I am embracing technology in my classroom.
When deciding what technologies to use I am usually cautious and weary of jumping
into any type of technology, site or app as I do not want to make impulse decision
based on flavours of the month. When reviewing Rogers (2010) Diffusion of
Innovations theory, I initially considered myself a laggard as I considered myself

slow to react however, my colleagues often come to me with questions in technology

as they see me as a technologically savvy person. After reflecting and listening to my
colleagues input, I would consider myself an early adopter as I am often well ahead
of the rest of educators when it comes to using information communication
technology in my classroom. I often experiment with technologies before I bring them
into my classroom as I want to be comfortable and confident when using the tool.
One of my first examples of using technology in my teaching practice occurred when
I first started to use a SMART board to enhance my lessons. Based on the Law of
Effect, any behaviour that is followed by a positive sentiment will be repeated and
any behaviour followed by a negative consequence will be stopped (Thorndike,
1905). I soon realized by incorporating technology into my lessons that I could make
them more interactive and increase student participation. This lead to students
achieving higher grades and staying more focused in class. When students were not
following along, I would often call on them to assist me on the SMART board. This
simple application of technology helped me realize the value in using information
communication technology in my lessons.
As I have developed my teaching practices, I have continued and increased the
amount of technology I use in the classroom as I now have a better understanding of
how it can benefit my students. According to the Technology Acceptance Model, our
attitude towards technology depends on our belief that it is useful and that it is also
easy to use (Taylor & Todd, 1995). I have come to a realization that technology used
effectively can increase the amount of communication between teacher, student and
parent. An example of this would be using class web sites and emails to engage all
of the stakeholders involved in communicating about a students progress. Bruner
(1960) claims that students that are able to use what they are learning in a social
context will have much more enjoyable experience as they are constructing their own
knowledge. Twitter is a great example of bringing technology into the classroom
while in a social context. Vygotsky (1978) also suggest that in order to build
knowledge, one must experience it through social and cultural experiences. This
medium is an excellent way for people to communicate with professionals in the field
and with each other about a wide array of issues. This tool can be used for
networking and knowledge construct however, it can also be distracting for users if
they get consumed by the various posts that appear on their feed. These two
examples give students access to resources that were once unavailable to them and
now more so than ever before, students can communicate with many people outside
of their immediate classroom. With new technologies also comes new unavoidable
challenges that educators will have to face. If we do not adapt now, how can we call
ourselves educational leaders? We should be leading the students of the 21st
century into the unknown future by providing them with the necessary tools and
competencies to be successful in the 21st century workforce.
References:
Bevevino, M. M., Dengel, J., & Adams, K. (1999). Constructivist theory in the
classroom internalizing: Concepts through inquiry learning. The Clearing House: A
Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 72(5), 275-278.
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