Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society ( EDUC-6710I) course a M.S. in Education program at Walden University has deepened my understanding of technology, which was limited prior to taking this course. I used to hear about blogs, wikis, podcasts, and RSS feeds, but I never had any experience in using them. I had always wondered what the RSS button on my browser toolbar was, but now my question has been answered and I have gained experience on how to use it. My use of technology was limited to internet navigation, emailing, using Microsoft word, and PowerPoint to create slides. Moreover, technology integration in my classroom was not efficient; however, now I am implementing technology into my lesson plans more effectively and efficiently to engage my students in my lessons. This course has also enriched my knowledge with the 21st century skills. It is helping me move away from the traditional teaching style – which used to be effective when I was a student more than a decade ago, to the 21st century style that helps me prepare my students for the future. Prior to taking this course, I had my students use the computers only for research papers; after I learned about the web 2.0 tools, my students started to use blogs for many of their assignments. Now, I am planning to use podcasts and wikis more often in my classrooms. My students are very excited about using podcast.
The articles that I read and the experience I had in this course, changed my perspective of being teacher-centered to learner-centered. The students of today are “digital natives” while we educators are “digital immigrant” as pointed out by Prensky (2001). Today’s students have been exposed to technology from birth; technology is the tool that motivates their learning ability, thus, I have a duty toward these students, which is learning how to use the technology tools in order to prepare them for the future. In addition, 21st century skills is a vital part of students education, which develop students’ skills such as problem solving, collaborative work, critical thinking, etc.. All educators need to be familiar with these skills and implement them in their classrooms. For this reason, I am using these skills more often in my classroom. I have my students work on solving real math problems in groups, and then present their work in front of their classmates.
I have set two long-term goals for the future. My first goal is to have the students use the portable computer lab more than once a week. I will request from the administration or the district to provide our school with more laptops, which will give my students an opportunity to use the laptops twice to three times a week. My second goal is to start attending workshops about using technology in the classrooms so I could remain updated on new information about technology so I could keep up with my “digital native” students.
My overall experience in this course was very exciting. I am more excited to learn about the use of technology than before. This course has helped me provide my students with an enthusiastic learning style that prepares them for the work place in the future.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).
