Educational Technology after COVID-19
When COVID-19 hit in the spring of 2020, I remember our school district scrambling to get technology for all students to finish a school year. Teachers were required to use Google Classroom to post assignments. Students without internet were able to sit outside on benches and have access to school WIFI. Google Chromebooks were quickly ordered and issued to students who needed them. Little did we know this was a sign of things changing.
While the pandemic may have
dwindled, the technology implemented during that time has not. In fact, educational
technology has become more prevalent in classrooms. “I
believe that the integration of information technology in education will be
further accelerated and that online education will eventually become an
integral component of school education,“ says Wang Tao, Vice President of
Tencent Cloud and Vice President of Tencent Education (Li and Lalani, 2020).
Tao was
correct. Dr. Andrew Feenberg’s Critical Theory of Technology enhances this by
stating: “Value in design, a central place for values when we judge the quality
and acceptability of technology and its systems” (Paulson, 2025).
Feenberg said technology
is never value neutral because it’s always a product of contexts:
- WHO MADE IT
- WHY IT WAS MADE
- HOW IT WAS INTENDED TO BE USED
(Paulson, 2015)
(YouTube: Critical Theory of Technology: An Introduction)
Feenberg’s Critical Theory of Technology sees technology not just as a thing, but rather understands technology through the contexts and conditions in which it’s designed and the power relationships that structure and regulate it’s use (Paulson, 2015).
Still,
technology is not without faults. As the pandemic showed us there are issues in
educational technology that need to be addressed.
(YouTube: EDTECH and COVID-19: 10 THINGS TO KONW)
ISSUES WITH EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
EdTechHub published an article
in 2021 identifying 10 things to know coming out of EdTech and COVID-19:
1.
Use
EdTech in ways that reach the most marginalized
2.
One
size won’t fit all; use a ‘multimodal’ approach
3.
Think
about personal connection, well-being, and safety
4.
Enhance
teacher professional development
5.
Build
learning teams: involve parents, siblings, and carers
6.
Apply
EdTech across system, teacher, and learner needs
7.
Adapt
existing content, pedagogies, and hardware
8.
Reimagine
education by testing new approaches
9.
Consider
political will, planning, and partnerships
10.
Scale
and invest where EdTech is most effective, equitable, and appropriate
(EdTechHub, 2021)
Ironically, in 2018 the Southern
Regional Education Board (SREB) published “10 Issues in Educational Technology.”
This was before the COVID-19 pandemic, but in the article, you think the SREB
members were already predicting the future with their top 10 list:
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While many school districts and
higher learning institutions have made great strides in educational technology
and have implemented many of the strategies on both lists, many districts and
universities still fall behind, especially in rural areas. The school district
I teach in still has some students without internet at their homes. I’m glad to
say our school district has formed a plan and will be addressing the issue this
school year.
Still, technology is expensive
and school districts struggle with trying to keep up to date.
ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE
In the SREB’s article, one of
their their 10 issues stood out personally to me.
This was “Student Digital
Literacy.” Digitally literate citizens have the knowledge and skills to access,
evaluate, manipulate, utilize, design and develop information – and ultimately
learn from the digital environment (Southern Regional Education Board, 2018).
I am a big proponent of digital
citizenship and media literacy. I believe all students, at all grade levels,
should understand what they are looking up online and be able to distinguish
between fact and fiction. The SREB article recommends that schools adopt a digital
literacy curriculum beginning in elementary grades to ensure students develop
the necessary skills in a stepwise, systematic way (Southern Regional Education
Board, 2018). This is a goal I have for my school district.
Texas Education Agency has
implemented new Technology Applications TEKS for the 2024-2025 school year for
grades K-8. In these new TEKS, there is an emphasis for each grade to learn
digital citizenship and data literacy, management, and representation. I am
glad to see this.
There are so many free programs
and curriculums out there to help teachers with this issue, including Common
Sense Education and the International Society for Technology in Education
(ISTE), which has developed student
standards that incorporate digital literacy to help students thrive in an
ever-evolving technological world. Each of ISTE’s seven standards (empowered
learner, digital citizen, knowledge constructor, innovative designer,
computational thinker, creative communicator, and global collaborator) include
four indicators used in measuring achievement of the standards (Southern Regional Education Board,
2018).
Digital
literacy competencies must become an everyday part of the learning experience
of school children; these skills should be integrated into instruction at all
levels (Southern
Regional Education Board, 2018). Students leave digital footprints every time
they look at a website, post a photo on social media, or just text a friend. Today’s
student has grown up with a digital device in the palm of their hand. It is our
job as educators to help them navigate that device, or technology, responsibly.
RESOURCE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
(n.d.). Understanding
the Updates in the Revised Technology Applications TEKS. Texas Education
Agency. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from
https://tea.texas.gov/academics/subject-areas/technology-applications/understanding-the-updates-in-the-revised-tech-apps-teks.pdf
REFERENCES
(2021, February 16).
EDTECH AND COVID-19: 10 THINGS TO KNOW. EdTechHub. Retrieved July 8,
2024, from https://edtechhub.org/covid-19-resources/edtech-and-covid-19-10-things-to-know/
[Elan Paulson]. (2015, February 11). Critical Theory of Technology: An Introduction [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/85mXvrqdExk?si=T01aAnqDxuY3X8VD
Li, C., & Lalani, F. (2020, April 29). The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how. World Economic Forum. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
(n.d.). Understanding the Updates in the Revised Technology Applications TEKS. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from https://tea.texas.gov/academics/subject-areas/technology-applications/understanding-the-updates-in-the-revised-tech-apps-teks.pdf
Hi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I agree with your observations on the increased reliance on educational technology and the need for its thoughtful implementation as well as the opportunities and challenges in technology integration. As a middle school teacher, I have seen how technology can enhance and challenge the learning experience.
You make a strong case for the importance of integrating technology to reach all students and consider digital literacy. For instance, your mention of how the pandemic accelerated the use of Google Classroom and the quick distribution of Chromebooks highlights the significant changes we’ve experienced in the educational technology landscape. In my classroom, I incorporate digital tools like online platforms for problem-solving, which help students grasp abstract mathematical concepts. However, I also recognize the importance of teaching students to navigate these tools responsibly and critically.
Dr. Andrew Feenberg’s Critical Theory of Technology provides a valuable perspective on how technology is influenced by its creators and users. As educators, we must evaluate the tools we use and ensure they align with our educational values.
Thank you for the resource on the revised Technology Applications TEKS for the 2024-2025 school year. The focus on digital citizenship, data literacy, and computational thinking aligns with ideas from the EdTechHub article and the SREB’s “10 Issues in Educational Technology.” The incorporation of computational thinking and practical technology concepts into the TEKS will benefit students and help them develop essential skills for the future. With the revised Technology Applications TEKS, what would be a good way or plan to incorporate the new TEKS into our curriculum to ensure that our students develop both digital literacy and computational thinking skills?
Thank you for sharing your insights and resources.
Ricardo,
DeleteThanks for the review! Common Sense Education, ISTE, NewsLit, are just some of the programs I use for digital citizenship and media literacy. No matter what you teach you can find a way to incorporate lessons. Just merely showing students how to Google "The Declaration of Independence" for example and then showing them websites that look reliable is digital citizenship. Hope this help!
Melissa, what I notice about your writing is that you add your own experiences as an educator which makes this blog even more personable and for me as a reader adds so much value. First and foremost, adding Dr. Andrews Feenberg's Critical Theory of Technology and what he says about : who made it why it was made and how it was intended to be used ties in your explanation of us truly understanding technology to its core . The video inserted following that was also appropriate. Nevertheless, you did acknowledge that yes in fact, we are aware that there are issues to be addressed in technology. You highlighted that by including the Southern Regional Education Board published article where it describes the 10 Issues in Educational Technology. I would have loved to see statistics added after your sentence , " While many school districts and higher learning institutions have made great strides in educational technology and have implemented many of strategies on both lists , many districts and universities still fall behind, especially in rural areas."
ReplyDeleteYour stance on the issue of Student Digital Literacy really stood out to me. I felt you clearly explained why students need to be able to clearly distinguish between facts and fiction. Thank you for including information about Common Sense Education . Free resources allow educators to gain information without having to gain approval for a budget. To conclude, your blog was well written and easy to understand.