Chapter 2 - Digital Blog Post B

Barriers to Technology - Concepts to Consider:

There are those who believe once a teacher, always a teacher. However, a better way of looking at this is realizing that a teacher will forever be a learner as a means to teach at the highest level they possibly can. The chapter opens up discussing the importance of teaching, as it touches the lives of “students, families, employers, and society as a whole” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 23). The reading describes how teachers are expected to cover a variety of responsibilities as well as challenges. When dealing with the introduction, manipulation, and benefits of technology, teachers are required to learn creative and innovative ways to teach. Since technology in the classroom has only begun to flourish, teachers are not only learning how to use the technology itself, but how to effectively incorporate it into the classroom. 

Even though using technology is a creative new way to teach, there are many critics who feel that technology used within the classroom is “oversold and underused” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 34). There are even those who feel that certain technologies have a negative impact on student development. The argument for these critics is that students are becoming less creative and less likely to be critical thinkers. This is a serious issue where many educators are missing the mark. Rather than allowing the technology to be an aid, they are mistakenly letting the technology be the thinker and brain.

This illustration depicts a student recognizing that he doesn’t have to work as hard because technology is so accessible; he doesn’t realize he is limiting his own cognitive development.

Within the reading, Tech Tool 2.1 describes the use of functional apps that can be used for both teaching and earning. It seems as though many students find math challenging regardless of the grade level. Mathway is a genius application that can be a valuable tool to better understand math on all levels. This technological tool allows students to input an equation and receive the answer, however for a monthly fee, students are able to see the work needed in order to arrive at the correct answer. Although this is an efficient and helpful tool, it is also one that can easily be abused when used for the wrong reasons, i.e. test-taking. It would be best if this application were to be used solely within the classroom as a means to better understand mathematical problems and learn how to do the step-by-step work.

In conclusion, the classroom has, and will continue to be a place of learning for everyone who enters. Each generation faces its own challenges, and it appears that our challenge today is the integration and functionality of a technological classroom. In regards to some of the issues teachers and students face, I appreciated the small section involving student-centered learning. This portion explained the importance of a balanced student-teacher relationship that produced creative cognitive skills. We must remember that technology is at our disposal, and not the other way around. It can be a magnificent tool, when used wisely.

Resources

BCArmenia (2012, September 28). Learning Technologies for the Classroom Online Teacher Training Course. Retrieved on September 13, 2015 from https:www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZXejwYUi0w

Goshay, N (2015, September 13). Barriers to Technology in Ed. Created with Bitstrips http://ww.bitstrips.com/r/LCQ83

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.