Category: EdTech Inquiry

   EDTECH INQUIRY

What is your inquiry question?

“How does technology in the classroom prepare students for the future?” 

What is the relationship of your topic to teaching and learning?

Our topic is relevant to teaching and learning because it acknowledges that the implementation of tech in the classroom is necessary to prepare students for the digital economy that progressively delves further into becoming more technology advanced each day. Many jobs in the workforce require the use of technology, therefore, my partner and I think that giving students opportunities to work with tech (for educational purposes) hands on in elementary/middle school gives them better insights on what is to come in terms of using technology to do schoolwork, projects, research papers etc. 

What are the pros, cons, and risks?

The pros of using technology to prepare for the future, according to the blog “5 Ways Technology Prepares Students for The Future” is it encourages teamwork. Using technology requires students to collaborate more often, thus encourages communication. This can be beneficial in regards to future jobs when they are needed to collaborate with their co-workers. Technology in the classroom establishes critical thinking skills which “initiatives like 1:1 and connected classrooms” (Internetwork Engineering) allow students to have the resources and tools needed to work through tasks creativity and effectively. Technology prepares students by also instilling responsibility. If students are taught how to take care of the shared technology that is used throughout the school they will learn how to take care of their own items in the future. Students will also be taught to use the internet safely and properly which again, instills responsibility and trust of using the internet unsupervised. The blog also states that when a student has to agree to a code of conduct they are held accountable and if they breach the conduct then there are consequences (Internetwork Engineering). It also teaches students to adapt meaning that having technology integrated in the classroom can prepare children for how fast technology changes. “Students will develop the technology foundation that allows them” to adapt quickly to future technologies. (Internetwork Engineering). Lastly, instilling career learning is a pro of incorporating technology in the classroom to prepare students for the future. The use of technology is extremely engaging for students which in turn allows them to “enjoy and embrace the learning process” (Internetwork Engineering). Career learning is based on the foundation of being able to “seek out new information and answers to questions”  (Internetwork Engineering) to develop an continued interest in exploratory learning, which students are able to do with the use of technology. People who are willing to learn all the time to better themselves and their careers become career learners which leads to tools they can use to use in their personal and professional lives (Internetwork Engineering)

The cons of technology in the classroom and why it could not be beneficial in the future is, according to the article “Preparing students for future learning with Teachable Agents’ ‘ by Chin et al., they state that technology can over scaffold student learning, meaning that “students do not learn to perform basic procedures on their own” (Chin et al. 650). The article uses the idea of a hand-held calculator and spell checkers as examples. This type of technology could impair the students from comprehending lessons fully. People also believe there is no added value to technology in the classroom. According to the article by Chin et al., some people think technology is not needed in the classroom.

The future risks of using technology in the classroom are, students can become extremely attached to using the benefits of technology that when it comes to having to go without for a job or future assignment in post-secondary it can be challenging. Sometimes it might be hard to think on your own if you are used to using the internet all the time and it can also be hard if one is used to typing on a computer and then is asked to write out a report for work and their penmanship is not up to standards. To make sure this does not happen, having an equal balance between using technology and not using it in class will help reduce those risks.

The article “Preparing students for future learning with Teachable Agents’ ‘ by Chin et al. proves that technology in the classroom is useful for students in the future even if technology was non-existent in the future. Studies measured learning in the basic form or with added value when students use technology, and by “examining subsequent learning” (Chin et al. 665) when they took away the technology. They used “teachable agents” in their research which were developed to “add value to paper-and-pencil concept mapping” by providing students with “automated feedback” (Chin et al. 650). The second study integrated teachable agents into science and it showed that this agent (the added-value) did not “adversely affect basic-value learning” (Chin et al. 665)  even without the extra teaching time due to the teachable agent. Each study also provided evidence that even without the technology’s support children are reaping these learning benefits while being taught new information (Chin et al. 665). Overall, the teaching agents “provided them with the powerful and integrative idea of casual chains in science” (Chin et al. 665) not just the factual information in general.

What are some of the strategies, best practices, and tips regarding your inquiry findings?

The strategies and practices to implement into the classroom are, typing, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Prezi (basic presentation platforms), Coding (developing skills in computer education), Online games (fun learning methods) and Kahoot (classroom engagement).

From my research I am able to conclude that integrating technology into the curriculum from a young age is very important. Executing this through using the internet for research for projects, implementing time for coding class, teaching kids how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and such can be beneficial as well. There was backlash at the fact that having computers/ iPads at school symbolizes the integration of technology into the classroom. I think that learning how to type properly and efficiently is very important and that it should be taught in classrooms, however, getting kids to google search information on projects etc may not be as useful. We all know technology such as phones distract students and teachers then might see technology more as a diversion creating tool and see it as an enemy against education. Rather than doing such teachers need to learn to harness technology as a classroom advantage and integrate it in a way that helps improve student engagement.

When should technology be integrated? At what age?

It is emphasized early on in elementary/middle school.

Why should it be integrated?

Technology should be integrated to be easier for children to learn and adapt. It also prepares students for meeting digital demands in the school and workforce. We are also entering a progressively digital world and technology is and will forever be the ‘new norm’. It will make it much easier for children to be able to use technology efficiently and effectively if they are exposed to it from a young age. The  use of technology will only be increased from now, and so it is a given that tech should be further integrated into the classroom!

Works Cited:

Chin, Doris B., et al. “Preparing Students for Future Learning with Teachable 

Agents.” Educational Technology Research and Development, vol. 58, no. 

6, 2010, pp. 649–669., doi:10.1007/s11423-010-9154-5. 

Engineering, Internetwork. “5 Ways Technology Prepares Students for The Future.”

          Internetwork Engineering Blog, 

blog.ineteng.com/5-ways-technology-prepares-students-for-the-future. 

Here is the link to our google slides presentation!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1n5oMksNI4RdVayACfyaVzgpFuBosxeDQFq6MCluiqCg/edit?usp=sharing

This is where Assignment 3: Educational Technology Guided Resource Development will be presented when complete.