Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education- Midterm

 

For our Midterm activity reading, I decided to read the article Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education I chose this article because I believe technology has in some form has always been a key role player in education. I also chose this article because I am exploring different pedagogical frameworks, and I want to find where I can contribute to this work. To achieve this, the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) has developed a plan of actions to enable by technology for all institutions in efforts to bridge the digital divide of learning, teaching, leadership, assessment, infrastructure, and equity.  

My takeaway from reading this article from the lens of working in underrepresented school districts that offer blended or online learning, I see a huge digital disconnect that needs urgent attention. When I think of the reimagining the role of technology in education and the execution of this plan, I then think to effectively implement this technology you will need to have the right people to champion to select wise technology that has a pulse on the cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement. To achieve the NETP plan to enable technology to bridge the digital with use of Borup's ACE  (Academic Communities of Engagement) framework. It is challenging to reimagine technology in education if there isn't equitable and accessible technology to begin with. 

1. The article was written in 2017, How much progress has been made from then and now?

2. In what ways can I support we support integrating technology at the local level?

3. What steps can educational leaders take to ensure equitable access to technology for all students, particularly those from underserved communities?

4. How can technology be used to provide real-time feedback and assessments that truly inform instruction and support student progress?

There are many different free and paywall Learning Management Systems tools like Google Classroom, Canvas, or Moodle can track student progress and provide immediate feedback on assignments and quizzes. Teachers can review student work and offer suggestions for improvement right away, while students can also see how they are progressing in real-time. There also online quizzes and assessments tool like Kahoot and Gimkit that allow teachers to administer quick, interactive quizzes that give immediate feedback on students' understanding. These quizzes can help teachers identify gaps in knowledge and adjust instruction accordingly.

5. What are the potential challenges and opportunities in creating a technology-driven learning environment, and how can they be addressed in my school or district?

Creating a technology-driven learning environment presents both challenges and opportunities. Key challenges include ensuring equitable access to devices and internet, providing adequate professional development for teachers, upgrading technological infrastructure, managing digital distractions, and safeguarding student privacy. These can be addressed by implementing device and internet access programs for underserved students, offering ongoing training for teachers to build their technology integration skills, investing in reliable infrastructure and IT support, setting up digital citizenship programs to minimize distractions, and prioritizing data security and privacy compliance.