Technology Inventory for English Education

I found this interactivity to be particularly interesting due to the group process required by this activity. Prior to this assignment, I have worked collaboratively on numerous projects, however this was the first time that I worked solely through technology to coordinate an assignment and organize a final product and results. I felt that the group process this project required was authentically collaborative because each group member contributed to the collective whole and through working together. I feel that each member contributed to our finished product and that we were able to communicate well with one another through email as well as the google document. I found that it was challenging at times to coordinate how the information would be formatted within the google spreadsheet, however I feel that each member of our group was able to move around information and create new columns so that our spreadsheet was coherent and well organized. I feel that each member was able to contribute technologies to the activity and work together to further our final product. For instance, no two members contributed the similar information, but rather we were able to come up with innovative and unique technologies. Likewise, as members of the group added new technologies we each took turns reformatting the classifications so that everyone’s information fit well with our categories. Finally, any time a group member struggled with something, such as figuring out how to insert a hyperlink for a technology source, they were able to obtain help from other group members. Overall, I feel that we worked together well and through communicating consistently with one another as needed I feel that we authentically collaborated on this activity.

Technology for Students with Disabilities

I recently stumbled upon an article entitled "Innovative Ways Technology is Helping Disabled Students in Schools" by Dean Taylor. Taylor articulated various innovative technologies which have been specially formulated to assist students with disabilities. One school in particular, El Camino College in Torrance, California, was noted to have truly taken the lead on incorporating these technologies within the classroom.

The article details a wide variety of technologies including braille pads which work are used in conjunction with iPads, magnification equipment, and the like. One technology mentioned by Taylor which truly stood out to me was a software program which allowed students to scan a textbook into the computer system. The software program allowed students to alter the text by making the font larger as well as highlighting portions. In addition, once the text was scanned, the computer was able to read sections to students and provide definitions if a student was unfamiliar with a word or phrase present in the reading.

I feel that oftentimes we emphasize technological integration but we fail to take into consideration the technologies available to various students which can greatly aid them in their academic endeavors. This article truly opened my eyes to a a few of the technologies currently available to students that I feel would greatly assist students with disabilities as well as others. I feel that it is important to depart from the typical technologies we are familiar with such as computers, iPads, PowerPoint, etc. and begin exploring alternate technologies which have emerged over the years.

This article exposed me to several new technologies that I was previously unaware of and led me to question what other technologies are currently in existence that tend to go overlooked as well. I am intrigued by what is out there and hope that as I continue to research, I will encounter many more innovative technologies which will assist a wide variety of students accomplish their educational goals.

Link to Article

Interactivity #2

After watching the video, “History of Educational Technology,” I determined that instructional films were the most influential technology form in my content area, English, during the period 1900-1990. During this time, several advances were made in the area of film making it more accessible for educators and students. For instance, George Klein (1910) produced roughly 1,000 educational films. Likewise, in 1923 the NEA established a Division of Visual Instruction. These were two key occurrences which led to the integration of film within many classrooms in the 1930s and the continued presence of film in schools thereafter through silent film strips and short educational films from the 1940s to 70s. I feel that these advances in film heavily impacted my content area during this time because this allowed educators to present a visual representation of literary pieces, through the mode of film. Thus, students started engaging with texts in new and innovative ways and their perceptions of their classroom texts were now grounded in a more tangible manner. Furthermore, film allowed teachers during this time to introduce students to different cultures, values, and the like through a mode that was more interactive and effective than straight lecture.

My reading of Chapter Two of Rethinking Technology and Schools and the supplementary article A Social History of Media and Technology in Schools reaffirmed my belief that film is the technology which had the greatest impact on English Education between the years of 1820 and 1990. During the progressive era, “On an administrative level, it was thought that instructional films would lead to more efficient production of high school graduates, since more students could be taught with less individualized instruction from the live teacher” (33-34). Film acted as a means of engaging students through appealing to their visual senses. Through television programs and the like, students were educated on social issues and exposed to a variety of material which was extremely beneficial in aiding student understanding of the texts they were presented with in their literature classes.

Although I feel film was beneficial during this time period for engaging students, I feel that film also had negative impacts because many administrators attempted to use film as a supplement of sorts to replace literature and teachers. Students caught on to this developing trend and as time progressed many students started relying on film interpretations of literary works rather than the actual written pieces to gain information pertaining to their curriculum. In this manner, my content area was negatively affected because students no longer were as compelled to read literary pieces because they could resort to film forms or the same pieces and obtain much of the same information, with greater ease than they would from reading. Students would consequently form opinions of pieces without even reading them. This approach further changed my content area for the worse because as Grace states, her grandmother observed that “the more her students liked a film, the less they actually learned from it” (Domine 3). Although film was innovative and new at this time and highly engaging to students, I feel that it had many drawbacks seeing as student learning decreased at times when it was incorporated within the classroom. Film greatly influenced schooling in my subject area between the years of 1820 and 1990.

"Never judge a book by its movie." —J. W. Eagan

Technology in Schools

The New York Times recently published an article by Matt Richtel entitled "In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores". The article detailed how several districts are making cuts to funding for various areas and eliminating teachers in an effort to provide additional funds for technology integration within the classroom. Richtel makes mention of one district who has up to date spent roughly $33 million on various technologies.

This article serves to question the true effectiveness of technology integration and whether the funds currently appropriated for investment in this area can be justified by increases in student performance academically and on standardized tests. Currently, it seems that no significant research has been conducted which can attribute any improvements in student performance directly to technology. Furthermore, in many schools where technology is currently integrated, test scores of students have remained stagnant. If this is the case, is it worth it to allot millions upon millions of dollars each year to invest in additional technology for schools?

Upon reading the beginning of the article, I began to form the mindset that investment in technology seemed trivial considering there is no significant proof of its educational impact. However, after considering the matter more and completing my reading of the article, I determined that regardless of whether technology improves student test scores, it serves to make students more well rounded and thus is well worth the investment. Granted, I do not support teachers and other programs being cut for an increase in funding for technology, but I do feel that it teaches students valuable skills which are applicable beyond their time in the classroom. For instance, I feel that technology integration within the classroom teaches students how to conduct research, compile data, and revise written work in innovative ways which further their understanding of material.

Overall, Richtel exposes a topic typically overlooked by many: the amount we are appropriating for technological investments in the classroom and school districts. Furthermore, he brings attention to the fact that more substantial research must be performed to justify the large amounts of spending on technology in various school districts. It truly makes one consider: is the spending worth it?

Link to NY Times Article

Interactivity #1

Technology has become a predominant tool and resource in modern society, particularly in the field of education. Most educators have become actively engaged with technology within the classroom setting and tend to heavily incorporate it to enhance student learning. The video featuring Olivia put the use of technology for  educational purposes in a new light for me. I am so accustomed to having easy access to a computer, cell phone, and the like that I am embarrassed to say I oftentimes forget to remember that others do not necessarily have this ease of access. As a teacher, it is very important for me to be aware of my students’ access to and exposure to technology so that I can ensure that I am not assigning work to students that they do not have the means to complete. In the case of Olivia, she did not have a computer and did not always have a cell phone so she had to be resourceful when it came to tracking down access to technology. Furthermore, when she did have access to these products, they were used mostly for social purposes such as MySpace or Email.

 Similarly, the students featured in the second video  used technology such as laptops, iPods, and twitter for social purposes and for their hobbies such as making music, learning languages, social networking, gaming coordinating, etc. As a teacher I must be aware of this because if my students are only using computers for more social purposes, I need to be mindful that they may not be familiar with the various functions of Microsoft Office and other programs that I may request them to use for class. Thus, I may need to demonstrate these programs to them and instruct them on how to use them at a computer lab at school. Likewise, if I am aware that many of my students lack access to a computer, I may need to provide time during class for them to access computers available within the school.

Over the past ten or so years, I feel that I have become increasingly connected to all forms of technology, but I am most notably connected to my cell phone, facebook, and email. In many ways these technologies have benefitted my life by allowing me to be constantly connected with my friends, sorority sisters, family, classmates, professors, and acquaintances with great ease. I feel that having my cell phone has made it easier to  reach others via call and text, my facebook has made it easier for me to communicate with groups of people through group messaging, and my email has provided me a more professional means of contacting others. Unfortunately, while these technologies have benefited me they have also negatively impacted me because I feel that I do not engage in as much face to face interaction as I previously would have and as a result feel that my communication skills are not as well developed as they otherwise would be.

I feel that my cell phone, facebook, and email have provided me fast access to new information in terms of what is going on in the world as well as the lives of my friends. With a quick text or call I am aware of any major occurrences in my friends life, any major problems that may have come up at home, and cancelations of classes or the university, and the like. Similarly, I feel that through Facebook I constantly learn new information from people’s status updates. For instance, I often find out who recently won the football game, if someone famous passed away, or if another major event occurred based on my newsfeed. Email likewise has provided me ease of access to new information from my employers, professors, and classmates.

My use of my cell phone, facebook and email is very similar to that of the young people from the two videos because for the most part I, like them, use these technologies for social means as well as for my personal interests to listen to music, to tweet, and play games occasionally. I feel that the major difference between my use and their use however is that I primarily use these technologies for professional and educational purposes such as contacting professors, peers, and employers or for classes to access blackboard or other course materials, rather than social purposes like the young people in the videos.