Digital Sabbath Progress

On Thursday, I participated in a Digital Sabbath. In the morning, I woke up, took a

shower, got dressed, had breakfast, and went to school. Since I did not spend time on social

media, I arrived at school earlier than usual. I answered a phone call from the doctor, then I

put my cell phone away in my school bag for the rest of the day. I turned off my Fitbit

notifications so I would not know if I was receiving text messages or phone calls throughout the

day. I went about my school day as normal, without checking my emails as often and without

distractions from my cell phone. After the school day, I went immediately to my workout class.

After working out and before getting in the car, I checked the notifications to see if anything

was important and needed my immediate attention. After nine hours of not touching my

phone, I had lots of text messages and snapchat notifications, but none of it was critical.

Therefore, I put my phone back in my work bag and drove home. When I arrived at home, I

made dinner and left my cell phone on the counter. The only time I really wanted my cell

phone was when I pulled out the dessert I had made. Due to this Power Down Day, I decided to

try it without social media at all so I did not Snapchat a picture. The rest of the evening I spent

moving furniture and getting ready for the carpet installers. I did not miss my phone at all. In

my rules I said I would not watch TV, movies, or Netflix, but I broke that rule to watch history,

the last 10 minutes of the 22nd win for the Indians. Before going to bed, I responded to a few

text messages saying it was my Power Down Day and I would text/call them back tomorrow. I

fell asleep quickly knowing I had accomplished a lot without technology interfering.
 Looking at my rules, I accounted for ten minutes on social media, computer usage for

MAEL, and checking my personal email once throughout the day. Since I was trying to

accomplish a true Digital Sabbath experience, I did not spend my ten minutes on social media

and I did not go on my personal laptop for MAEL or personal usage. The hardest part for me

was not getting Fitbit notifications. It sounds silly, but I usually do not have time in my school

day to check my phone, but I am always up-to-date with texts and calls with the Fitbit. I can see

the texts and calls come across the screen and determine if I need to attend to them. Also, I am

a huge Google user. When I see, or hear something interesting, I usually look it up on Google to

learn more about it. Due to the Digital Sabbath, I had to remind myself not to use technology

to look things up on Google. Overall, I had a productive day. I had more time to do the things I

needed to do because I was not distracted by checking my phone with countless texts and

social media.
 Technology Research

As I looked at the Digital Sabbath rules of my classmates, I noticed rules about limiting

student technology usage. I thought about the need for that rule and realized it is unnecessary

for me. Rather than the students using too much technology at school, I think we have the

opposite problem in our district. We do not have enough technology to be limiting the usage. I

wish I had more technology available to meet the students 21st century needs. After passing a

May 2017 levy, we are starting to roll-out our Chromebook Initiative. According to our

Superintendent, This initiative focuses upon preparing our students for success in the 21st

century where collaboration, communication, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills

will be of the utmost importance to ensure success in a global economy. Although this is a

huge and exciting step for our district, it will take five years for the 2:1 Classroom Cart Model

Chromebook Roll-Out to reach my school. I already believe our school district is behind in

technology implementation for students and in five years we will be even more behind.

In this modern world, technology is everywhere and things happen faster now than they

ever have before. However, in this incredibly fast-paced world, where access to information is

instantaneous, some schools, such as mine, cannot keep up. 21st century learners are not the

same as past students; these learners demand quick access to new knowledge and instant

gratification. They are capable of engaging in learning at a whole new level. With the world

literally at their fingertips, todays students need teachers and administrators to re-envision the

role of technology in the classroom (Blair, 2012). In order for students to thrive in the 21st

century, they must know, understand, and manipulate technology. They must master more

than the core content subjects math, reading, writing, science, social studies to succeed in
secondary and postsecondary institutions, as well as in the workplace. They must now master

the four Cs: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Technology plays a

crucial role to in mastering the four Cs. While critical thinking, collaboration, communication,

and creativity can all be taught in a low-tech environment, 21st century students need to utilize

technology to be effective problem solvers, collaborators, communicators, and creators. They

must use technology to collaborate with others in communities beyond their own (National

Education Association, n.d.). The best environment for students to develop the four Cs is in a

technology-infused learning environment. This environment calls for two elements: We must

increasingly put technology into the hands of students and must trust them with more

progressive technology use. Students need access to a constantly evolving array of

technological tools and activities that demand problem-solving, decision-making, teamwork,

and innovation (Blair, 2012).

As Blair mentioned, it is up to the educators to re-envision the role of technology in the

classroom. A modern classroom can no longer be filled with dusty chalkboards, projector

screens, and heavy textbooks. Students are changing and so are classrooms. SmartBoards have

replaced chalkboards and projectors; iPads and Chromebooks are replacing textbooks. We can

research just about anything that we want at our fingertips. Social media has become

commonplace, and the way we use technology has completely transformed the way we live or

lives. Access to computers alone is not enough to impact teacher integration of these

technologies into their classrooms or to increase student engagement. While various factors

are related to students usage of computers and their attitudes towards them, two important

factors include computer anxiety and teacher attitudes toward computer usage (Gibson et al.,
2013). With this drastic change in classroom technology, educators must embrace the role

technology can play in enriching the learning experience. In order to properly utilize technology

in the classroom, teachers must be comfortable with technology and have a positive attitude

toward computer usage for educational purposes. The only way to change educational

practices is to change the beliefs and values of teachers, administrators, parents and other

educational stakeholdersand thats a cultural issue, not a technological one...Its about

processes and people rather than bits and bytes (Tahnk, 2013). When educators can change

their beliefs about technology, embrace it and reimagine the role it plays in the classroom,

students will begin to master the four Cs in a technology-infused learning environment.

The impact that technology has on todays schools and 21st century learners is quite

significant. The widespread adoption of technology has completely changed how teachers

teach and students learn. Teachers are learning how to teach with emerging technologies

(tablets, iPads, SmartBoards, digital cameras, computers, etc.), while students are using

advanced technology to shape how they learn. By embracing and integrating technology in the

classroom, we are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school (Cox, 2015).

Some of the benefits of using technology in the classroom include:

Technology in the Classroom Makes Learning More Fun - Students prefer technology

because they believe it makes learning more fun and interesting. Subjects seem

challenging or boring can become more interesting with virtual lessons, videos, games,

and applications.

Technology Prepares Students for the Future Technology is the present and the future.

As students prepare for college and the workplace, they require adaptive problem
 solving skills, collaborative communication, and digital fluency. They need to be tech-

savvy workers who use technical and digital medial skills in their everyday work.

Technology Helps Students Learn at Their Own Pace - Todays technology enables

students to learn at their own pace. Students can learn according to their abilities and

needs.

Technology Connects with Students - When students (even the little ones) are not in

school, just about everything that they do is connected in some way to technology. By

integrating technology into the classroom, teachers are changing the way they used to

teach (lectures six hours a day) and providing students with the tools that will take them

into the 21st century.

Technology has a positive impact in the education process. It is critical to expose

students to technology and all that it offers as soon as possible. Students must master the four

Cs: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Technology plays a crucial

role to in mastering the four Cs. The best environment for students to develop the four Cs is in

a technology-infused learning environment.

 References

Blair, N. (2012). Technology integration for the new 21st century learner. Principal. Retrieved

from https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/Blair_JF12.pdf.

Cox, J. (2015). Benefits of technology in the classroom. Retrieved

from http://www.teachhub.com/benefits-technology-classroom.

Gibson, P., Stringer, K., Cotten, S., Simoni, Z., ONeal, L., & Howell-Moroney, M. (2013).

Changing teachers, changing students? The impact of a teacher-focused intervention on

students computer usage, attitudes, and anxiety. Computers & Education, 71, 165-174.

National Education Association. Preparing 21st century students for a global society: An

educator's guide to the four cs. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org.mt.opal-

libraries.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf.

Tahnk, J. L. (2014). Why we need to embrace technology in the classroom right now. Retrieved

from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeana-lee-tahnk/technology-in-the-

classroom_b_5946570.html.