Tech in Schools: If You Can’t Beat It…
I’m a Googler. If someone asks me a question, I have the answer in seconds. I LOVE me some social media. I’ve made invaluable connections with folks all over the world via “the gram”. I regularly tune in to my favorite vloggers on YouTube. I’m an internet cousin of “Evelyn from the Internets” and I hang out (in my mind) with Patricia Bright and her husband Mike, and Jamie and Nikki. When I unsuccessfully tried to learn to braid my own hair, I looked at numerous tutorials on YouTube before wisely deciding to continue to let the professionals handle that for me. Hello…I sleep with my iPhone! I am the poster child for having my phone attached to my hand at all times. And it’s not just for entertainment purposes. I do a large percentage of my work on my phone. I rely on it more than my physical, human assistant. In fact, at a family brunch with my sisters, we made a pact to put our phones face down on the table and engage with one another and the first to break that rule paid for the bill.
I’m also an educator and I constantly hear debates over whether phones and other forms of technology should be allowed in classrooms. People ask whether or not technology is helping or hindering our youth. Are they really learning if they’re wearing headphones or are they playing and wasting time? I’ve always supported the use of technology in classrooms and have encouraged my own teams to flip the focus from the negative aspects of technology to the positive ones. Rather than focusing on cell phones in classes as being a distraction, think of ways that those devices can be integrated into the everyday instructional practices. Many schools and districts now have technology integration plans; teacher evaluation tools even ask how teachers are using technology in their instructional delivery. However, I haven’t seen instructional technology used on a wide-scale in innovative ways beyond presentation platforms, word processing, and basic graphic design. The technology isn’t going anywhere, and our youth aren’t going to stop using it. As technology evolves, our education systems need to find meaningful ways to make use of these tools to enhance the educational experiences of our school communities. There is great potential in allowing students to access various forms of technology in schools, and our attention should be spent on teaching responsible behavior and etiquette. Help youth experience how social media and instant access to information and tools can enrich their learning by bringing curriculum to life, allowing students to connect with their peers around the globe in meaningful ways, and developing a mindset of being a serviceable global citizen. But also, let’s teach them about balance, and the importance of authentically engaging with other humans, the benefits of sometimes disconnecting and logging off, and maybe not sleeping with their phones like their school leaders.
