Adventures in EdTech

A major question that schools are faced with, as the trend of tech integration into the classroom continues, is how to keep students and staff responsible and safe in their use of technology. Many teachers (myself included) would obviously love to see fewer moments of games or YouTube being accessed during work time, as the potential for off-task behaviors is something that we will constantly grapple with whenever we incorporate tech-driven learning. But, this is just one of the (smaller, relatively) concerns faced as tech’s role in schools grows. Especially as schools transition to a 1-1 setup, where they are now providing each student with a device that can potentially access every recess of the internet, communicating the expectations for how those devices can/should be used is paramount. Many schools have done this by drafting acceptable use policies, or AUPs, which are shared with teachers, students, and parents. For reference, here is my own district’s policy on use for computers...

The picture below is one I feel like I was shown during my very first PD presentation as a teacher (or if not, at least some point early on in that year). I think it is a well-known image (or at least a well-known style of picture) to demonstrate the difference between equality and equity, and that what we may actually be striving for within our classrooms is equity, and not equality (not to discount equality entirely, just for the sake of the picture). I think this image speaks to the idea of accessibility, and how it is given space and employed without our classrooms as well, because tools and strategies focused on accessibility seek to create equity. I also feel the picture is apropos because there are multiple persons in the picture who are using some sort of tool to create equity, rather than just being used for the one who ‘visibly’ requires it. This is something I have been seeking to be mindful of more and more as I have gone forward in my career. Image Source Accessibility is ...

I have always felt like I am part of the first ‘social media’ generation-I can still remember going through high school, and the excitement of having a friend invite me to join Facebook (since it was still invite-only in those days, and I had been a Myspace kid until that point, for those who remember the drama of choosing who was in your ‘top 12’). My first cell phone was strictly to be used for emergencies, because text messages still cost money, and I think the most exciting thing I could do with it was add new ringtones that were basically 10-second clips of different songs I liked at the time. As I’ve gotten older, that has obviously all changed, and I actually think my social media usage has tracked like a mountain-a sharp increase as more and more apps came out, and then a slow but steady decline over the last few years. My use of any sort of educational apps outside of school was basically limited to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint-nowadays I feel as though every year there are m...

TPACK , or technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge, is an educational framework that teachers can use to measure their ability to teach effectively with technology. It is a combination of three separate knowledge areas-technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge, which are of equal importance and influence in terms of how well a teacher can integrate all three into his/her professional practice. Content knowledge refers to a teacher’s understanding of the subject matter being taught. This includes knowledge of the subject itself, laws, theories, ideas, knowledge progressions, etc., as well as learning standards that reflect the knowledge and skills students are proposed to acquire through their learning.  Pedagogical knowledge refers to a teacher’s knowledge of theories and practices associated with the act of teaching. This could include methods of instruction, grouping, learning environments, assessment, and any other considerations that can im...