Reflection Time

What is technology in education? That is a loaded question. If you have been keeping up with my blog posts from the last several weeks, you know that there are many facets to that other than just integrating computers into the classroom. It’s a wide understanding of what is available in the world- resources, accessibility, data, platforms, etc. and making the most of each of them. This is something that I hadn’t quite grasped at the start of this process. 

Learning is growing. We are all growing everyday as we learn more about the world and its opportunities around us. From the start of this technology exploration, I mainly learned about the vast number of resources out there. I hadn’t known about Loom/Screencastify, Twitter Chats, etc. All of these different resources have opened my eyes as to what technology can offer educators in not only the classroom teaching sense, but also the professional growth areas as well. 


My views on technology in education are not stagnant. As I explore and use different forms of technology on a regular basis, I am constantly changing my ideas and viewpoints on certain concepts. With that in mind, the GIF below helps capture that. 

Image Source: Giphy


I chose a growing plant because that’s where I am. I know that that idea is cheesy and so over-used in education, but it’s impossible to be in one spot for me. Every week, I learned more about how technology can flip a classroom, data to support technology or refute it, digital tattoos, accessibility options, etc. There is an infinite amount out there that the growth mindset is accurate. 


One of the resources that stuck out to me during this process was the idea of the digital tattoo. This is because the digital tattoo is such a valuable concept to share with our learners. Yes, there are many benefits to using technology in the classroom and I could share a bunch of resources to help enrich learning, but the reality is something that is equally as important. 


The digital tattoo exploration is something I plan to share with my students so they can see exactly what themselves and their loved ones is out there about. I am not going to try and instill fear in them, just reality. It’s okay to play video games with other peers online that you perhaps never met in real life. It’s not okay to share your last name with them because that can easily allow them to access more information about you online. Keeping these ideas in mind, I want to bring that awareness and that safety to my students.


Image Source: Giphy


Overall, knowing that technology is everywhere and ever-changing is the most important concept that all educators must take away with them. We must understand and remember that we learned over the course of the last 8 weeks will be changing in its application and usability over the next 8 months. That is how quickly technology changes! With that said, as long as our adaptability and understanding are the most important.


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