Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION 1

Technology in Education

By Dawn Rauwolf

Master’s Portfolio ED698

Dr. Elizabeth Hartley, Ph.D.

April 3, 2020
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Technology Standard

A teacher uses technology effectively, creatively and wisely.

Technology in Education Frame

Technology is an important part of our everyday lives, and we must continue to accept

the many improvements and changes that come along with its use. This website was created in

2012 to satisfy the requirements for my Introduction to Educational Technology class. This

website highlights a few of the skills I learned back then. This class helped me to have a better

understanding of what I could be expected to know when I started teaching, although my 5+

years of experience as a classroom teacher have given me many opportunities to grow as a tech

user. My on-the-job training has been the the most useful to my personal technology

development because my teacher tasks are necessary and critical. As I’ve grown more familiar

with digital devices and technology in the classroom, I’ve been able to better help my students

with their personal or school-issued digital devices. Many times though, students help me to

learn intricate tricks on their Chromebooks, and they certainly help each other too.

The educational needs of our students have evolved quickly over the past ten years and

the use of digital resources helps to meet these needs. In a recent article for Visual Capitalist,

Katie Jones (2020) writes, “Children and young adults make up one-third of all internet users, so

it’s no surprise that they are more hyper-connected and digitally savvy than their parents.” So,

although some people think that the increased use of technology is detrimental to young people

and their learning, we have to understand that cell phones and computers are part of our modern

society, and we need to guide students to use these tools appropriately and fluently.

Furthermore, future workforce needs will look different than right now and it is our job as

teachers to prepare students for success after high school. In the abstract of his dissertation,
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David Arencibia (2013) writes, “Implications of social change include guiding educators across

the nation to acknowledge the imminent use of technology in the classroom, and investing time

and proper technological skills into the education of today’s students.”

Digital Literacy is included within the Alaska State Standards. Our digital literacy

standards are based on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) student

standards (2016 edition) and focus on “leveraging technology for learning, expression, digital

citizenship, and communication” (Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

[DEED]; Digital Literacy Standards, 2019). Depending on the grade level, students are expected

to use technological tools “for learning and participating in a digital society” (2019). Using

digital devices, students should have opportunities to share their work, interact with their peers

and teachers, learn about personal accountability and safety, evaluate a variety of sources,

conduct research, and create original artistic artifacts.

Teachers must not only guide students to responsibly use technology, we must also learn

and use technology ourselves. We are expected to use digital devices with a reasonable amount

of skill and competency. Teachers use the internet and digital tools to increase student

engagement, to address alternate intelligences, to create yearly, weekly, and daily lesson plans, to

teach lessons in every subject area, to assess student progress, and to communicate and

collaborate with administrators, colleagues, parents, and more. In his article, How Teachers Use

Technology in the Classroom, David Nagel (2019) reminds us that “nearly all teachers – 95% -

are using technology in the classroom nowadays.” Two of our most popular online websites –

IXL and Prodigy - make use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their learning platforms; the AI

analyzes student answers and then develops personalized mini-lessons for each individual
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student. Jones (2020) reminds us that the success of “AI-driven applications in education are

still in their infancy” but, there is “growth potential in the sector.”

The curriculum that I use with my 3rd and 4th grade students is enhanced by online

components. Our math and english language arts materials are easily accessed online. I

supplement our social studies and science unit plans with educational content found online. I can

list dozens of websites that I often use in my daily teaching. From the start of my day to the very

last learning bloc of time, I take advantage of my personal computer, the student computers, and

many online resources. Teachers must be ready to learn and teach new modes, systems, skills,

and technologies; adaptation and change are invariable.

References

Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. (2019). Alaska digital literacy

standards. Retrieved from https://education.alaska.gov/standards/digital-literacy

Arencibia, D. E. (2013). The effects of merging technology and thinking skills in the classroom.

[Abstract]. Retrieved from https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=https://search-

proquest-com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/docview/1284761153?accountid=44766

Jones, K. (2020). How technology is shaping the future of education. Visual Capitalist. Retrieved

from https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-technology-is-shaping-the-future-of-

education/

Nagel, D. (2019). How teachers us technology in the classroom. The Journal. Retrieved from

https://thejournal.com/articles/2019/05/08/how-teachers-use-technology-in-the-

classroom.aspx