Reflection

Coming into this class, I realized that a big job of a technology integrator is to be able to successfully collaborate with all colleagues whether they are teachers, administrators, or support staff.  I also knew that being a technology integrator involved planning to create changes in a school or district, I just didn’t realize how much.  Completing the task was eye opening to me in seeing how much planning comes into just one development plan.  Completing a plan for bringing new technology into a district takes lots of thought, making it work for administrators, teachers, and other staff.  In addition to all the planning, the plan needs to be implemented and adjusted problems, questions and situations arise.

I also realized the importance of collaborating with other people who are technologically savvy.  Through the module where we were paired with a classmate to help with the integration of technology in lessons, I learned a lot.  Not only did I take away ways to improve my lesson and ideas to use from her lesson, I saw first hand how coming together with someone who understands technology can better both of our work.  Two minds are better than one, and through collaborating this way, I can grow as a learner not only through getting help and ideas, but through helping others.

Before taking this class, I felt that technology integration is essential in 21st Century classrooms.  Students are living in a world where they’re accessing technology multiple times a day, every day.  School should be no different.  While I realize the importance of technology integration, many teachers do not.  Either they don’t want to integrate technology because it’s something new to them or they just don’t know the advantages of introducing technology to the classroom.  Through this class, I discovered ways to assess what staff knows regarding technology and what can be done from a technology integrator standpoint to show teachers what they can be doing in their room and why it can help.

While it’s important to help staff in the district grow in their technological knowledge, I also realized that I can always grow.  I like to think of myself as someone who is technologically savvy, and as a teacher who does a pretty good job integrating technology into my classroom as much as I can.  Through looking at my classmates blogs and discussions, as well as the tools suggested in the learning modules, I discovered tons of new tools that I can use in lessons, and teach my students how to use.  I’m leaving this class realizing that I need to put more effort into researching what new technology is out there and different web 2.0 tools I can be using in my lessons.

BYOD

Being a teacher in a small, rural school (90 students K-8) there are reasons I like about implementing Bring Your Own Device and reasons I’m hesitant towards BYOD.  The district I work in is small and there isn’t much money that is put towards technology.  My schools board also doesn’t allot much money towards technology spending, mostly because the majority of them don’t know the advantages of having students learning how to use technology and they don’t know how technology can improve student learning experiences.  If my district/school was to implement BYOD, teachers would be able to implement more technology use into lessons.  Currently we aren’t able to implement technology as much as we’d like because we have to share the technology we have and it isn't available as much as we’d like to use it.

If a school is to implement BYOD, there are many things that need to be considered.  First, there needs to be infrastructure within schools that can support high traffic on wifi.  If infrastructure can’t handle high traffic, student’s won’t be able to use tools on the web to their fullest potential, and technology can be used within the classroom as effectively.  The school also needs to be determined what types of technology will be allowed.  The school needs to think about what types of tools they want students to be using and how students will be using technology in their classrooms.  Most likely, laptops, tablets, eReaders, and smartphones would be appropriate tools.  I think if a school is to implement BYOD, it should start at middle school, and no younger so that parents of younger students aren't pressured.

Schools also need policies in place, like when technology can be used, what it should be used for, and what shouldn’t be used.  There should be logical consequences that are in place in case there are technology use violations such as loss of technology for a period of time, or limited technology use.  Parents should also be notified as part of this to keep them informed and so they can follow through at home as well.  Trainings would also need to take place.  The district should be in charge of setting up trainings during staff development days.  They should be trained on how students should be using technology and how to teach students how to use technology in school.  Teachers need to be in charge of training students, letting them know how to use various tools effectively that’ll be used throughout the school year, and teaching them the policies.  Parents also need to be informed through letters home to school, pollicies regarding BYOD in the family handbook and parent nights where parents are informed at school by administrators and teacher leaders.

Although BYOD would make more technology available, I feel that the negatives outweigh the positives, and BYOD would be a good fit.  My school’s town has a high number of students who live in poverty.  If we were to implement BYOD, there would be the issue of kids being seen as the haves and have nots.  This would also put pressure on parents to spend a lot of money on technology so their kids are “like the other kids”.  The issue also arises of what age students should be expected to be bringing in their own devices.  I think the technology that is available today can be a great tool for kids to use, but as a parent, my wife and I struggle with how much technology we want our daughter to use.  At two years old, our daughter can easily navigate our iPhones and iPad.  On one hand, it’s great that she’s learning how to use technology, but on the other, we want her to learn to use her imagination and not become dependent on the use of technology to keep her entertained.  Parents of older children face these same dilemmas.  It seems that kids are getting younger and younger when they get their first tablet or cell phone.  It’s hard for parents to make this decision without having extra outside pressures like a school that’s implementing BYOD.  

There are many other issues that could arise with students bringing in their own devices:

• Students could compare technology with one another and some students feeling that their technology isn’t as good as other students.  Even within the students who have technology, there could be the haves and have nots.  
• If students are using 3G or 4G, they can bypass firewalls, and no matter how vigilant staff is, you can’t see what every student is doing all the time.  
• It also gives students opportunities to become distracted with doing things that aren’t on task on their devices.
• Teachers cannot be expected to be able to provide technology support for all students having issues.
• All devices may not be able to support a tool teachers may want to use in a lesson.

As I previously stated, although BYOD brings in more available technology for students to be using during lessons, there are many negatives that come along with it.  While teachers would see the advantage of being able to implement more technology in their lessons, they would have to do more in terms of management, which would be more work for them in the end game.

Resources:

BYOD – Worst Idea of the 21st Century? (2009). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from http://stager.tv/blog/?p=2397

Walsh, K. (2012, July 1). Free Ed Tech Resources eBook. Retrieved January 7, 2015, from http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/07/5-reasons-why-byod-is-a-bad-idea/

What is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and Why Should Teachers Care? (2012, November 12). Retrieved January 7, 2015, from http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/tech-ed/what-is-byod-bring-your-own-device-and-why-should-teachers-care/

Bloom’s Taxonomy and Technology Integration

While planning on how to integrate technology into the classroom, it’s important to consider how Bloom’s Taxonomy fits into each lesson.  As a classroom teacher, considering Bloom’s Taxonomy in every lesson is essential in making sure all students gain the knowledge they need and can apply, synthesize, evaluate and create artifacts with the gained knowledge.  The goal of Bloom’s Taxonomy in the classroom is for students to gain skills and knowledge so they can use it to help further their education.  Bloom’s Taxonomy can be applied to the use of technology directly.  Students can gain knowledge through technology.  They can help build comprehension through the use of technology and analyze situations with it as well.  Through the use of different technological tools, students can apply their learning and create products that show their learning.

While creating my budget matrix, I had to think of disadvantages and potential issues that could arise with different technological configurations.  Through all of the configurations, students can gain knowledge and help strengthen comprehension.  However, when you’re in a classroom with limited technology (one computer or ten computers) students are limited to learning in small groups, large groups, or with the whole class.  When students have their own computer to use, they can explore what they want to learn and it gives them an opportunity to be in charge of their own learning.  When students are responsible for their own learning, they tend to value what they are doing more, and more can be achieved for more students.  That is not to say learning in larger groups is bad.  Sometimes in groups, questions and learning arises that may not have happened if there weren’t other learners bringing ideas up.

Teachers can overcome obstacles in classrooms with limited technology by coming up with alternative learning opportunities for students who don’t have technology to work with.  They can also modify lessons so technology fits within their lessons better.  The most eye opening thing that I discovered while completing the assignment was the monetary aspect.  Obviously, the harder of the configurations to integrate technology is the classroom with just one computer and a projector, which cost just under $900.  The configuration of having a computer cart with 25 Chromebooks cost about $6500, and was about seven times more expensive.  If I was working with my district, talking about bringing in some technology to classrooms, I would really push spending more money on chromebooks.  For seven times more, all students would have technology available to work with (given the cart would need to be signed out), but technology would be able to be used more effectively in lessons.  By having just one computer in a room with a projector, student technology use is limited, and integrating technology into lessons is much more of a challenge.