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Tech-2-Grow | Research Home Learn More Inspiration About the Author |
Research into...
Technology Tools, The Apple Classrooms Of Tomorrow (ACOT) Project, Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK), and 21st century skills.
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Design Process
Support and Next Steps
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Diversifying Technology
Technology has been one of the biggest factors in changing the way people go about their daily lives in our global world. Since the 1960’s, technology has been used in classrooms to aid in enhancing students’ learning experiences. Starting with overhead projectors and PBS television educational programming to the invention of the desktop computer and then internet in the 1990’s, the evolution of educational technology is rapidly changing. With the new shift in education from passive transmittal based to active inquiry based, the framework for what educators need to know has changed dramatically as well. Through Darling-Hammond's book The Flat World and Education it is clear that the United States is falling behind in the educational ranks. Not only is the US falling behind but has been pursuing a pedagogical approach that is almost completely opposite of the highest ranking nations. This isn’t because our teachers do not care or simply refuse to teach this way, it is due to the wrong supports, funding, and attitude towards educators in this country. Because this cycle has continued we now see graduates in the United States not prepared for the demands of highly skilled technical jobs. Hammond talks about how it is difficult to educate young people to be successful in our world but if not, “ the consequences of failing to do so are enormous”(Hammond, 2010). Employers are beginning to outsource from different countries where students are highly skilled and have the necessary analytical and technical requirements; “Our current practice of outsourcing jobs to countries such as China and India is making it more difficult for unskilled American workers to earn middle-class incomes” (ACOT²). Our nation is in a crisis, and our government needs to realize that if we don’t change and improve our quality of teaching, we will never be able to regain our educational standing.
Now that teachers are starting to understand and implement the PCK we see technology as the separate tool that can be difficult to integrate. This creates challenges in our districts and schools when trying to implement this type of framework which is an integration of three different areas. One of the hardest part of this framework is the technology piece due to how rapidly changing educational technologies are, and not much curriculum to show how to integrate it into specific curriculum. Simply placing technology hardware into classrooms is “not a comprehensive solution to bridging the digital divide, despite a plethora of well-meaning projects that bring computers, connectivity, or other technology to rural schools” (Muller et al. 2007).
Using Technology with Purpose
Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow-Today, was a research collaboration with educators designed to help figure out how to keep students in school during the high school dropout epidemic. “Each year, almost one third of all public high school students – and nearly one half of all blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans – fail to graduate from public high school with their class”(Bridgeland, DiIuluo and Morison, 2006). They claimed that 21st century learning was at the junction of three influences: “globalization, technology innovations, and new research on how people learn” (Baker, Gearhart, Herman, 2008). This program was not only designed to help students be more prepared for the real world and the new demands of jobs, but also to get schools “closer to creating the kind of learning environment this generation of students needs, wants, and expects so they will stay in school”(ACOT²). Educators were seeing students as being unable to meet 21st Century demands nor were they engaged or stimulated to perform the work. The three phase process that ACOT² developed was designing core principles for 21st Century learning, implement them through technology and then apply them through an intentional project. Schools and districts that did participate, say they have seen an increase in student academics and engagement.
Using Pedagogy, Content, and Knowledge Interdependently
TPACK is a conceptual framework that Mishra and Koehler describe as the knowledge base for teachers to effectively teach with technology (2005). The theory is that the three domains Technology (TK), Pedagogy (PK), and Content (CK) working interdependently together would teach students 21st century skills while being engaged and meeting their new learning demands. The implications of TPACK are that it is difficult to use these domains interdependently when educators may not be well versed in a particular area. In the past professional development has only focussed on one area but now having to be experts and interplay all three areas, eductors have a lot on their plate. Graham in his research discusses how the domain that really needs to be strengthened in TPACK is the field of educational technology. He claims that it has been difficult to root theories for educational technology “due to rapid technological change (Richey, 1997; Roblyer & Knezek, 2003) Rein also discusses how TPACK has a “hidden complexity; easy to understand at a surface conceptual level” (Rein, 2011). It makes sense if educators are not well versed in one or more of the domains of TPACK, that their could be some major problems when it comes to integrating this into a classroom already filled with obstacles. Harvest MS, has really dedicated its energy towards shifting pedagogy and content to create an authentic learning environment. But now with the introduction of technology and the shift in roles with students (digital natives) and teachers, parents, etc. (digital immigrants), it’s hard to evaluate if one is using technology appropriately.
21st Century Skills Students Need
Much research has been developed around what skills this generation needs to be 21st century ready when they graduate and start a career, and why teaching them these skills is so important. In Blair’s section Technology Integration Remixed, she talks about the four C’s and how application of these skills in a “technology-infused life and workplace, requires them being taught in a technology-infused learning environment” (Blair, 2012). She claims that students need to be immersed in technology and as teachers and parents we need to trust them more, in terms of using in it. They need to be able to explore tools, not be confined to only a couple and then use them to apply their content knowledge. She also talks about how teachers need to shift from “creating presentations to crafting powerful learning activities” (2012). Students are the inquirers, explorers, designers, driven by their own engagement and curiosity. Friesen and Scott in their literature review also agree, claiming that their aim is to teach students 21st century skills through inquiry and discovery. Technology is the obvious route to engagement and deeper discovery for students, but are we truly allowing them to do this in these 1:1 device classrooms?
Now that teachers are starting to understand and implement the PCK we see technology as the separate tool that can be difficult to integrate. This creates challenges in our districts and schools when trying to implement this type of framework which is an integration of three different areas. One of the hardest part of this framework is the technology piece due to how rapidly changing educational technologies are, and not much curriculum to show how to integrate it into specific curriculum. Simply placing technology hardware into classrooms is “not a comprehensive solution to bridging the digital divide, despite a plethora of well-meaning projects that bring computers, connectivity, or other technology to rural schools” (Muller et al. 2007).
Using Technology with Purpose
Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow-Today, was a research collaboration with educators designed to help figure out how to keep students in school during the high school dropout epidemic. “Each year, almost one third of all public high school students – and nearly one half of all blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans – fail to graduate from public high school with their class”(Bridgeland, DiIuluo and Morison, 2006). They claimed that 21st century learning was at the junction of three influences: “globalization, technology innovations, and new research on how people learn” (Baker, Gearhart, Herman, 2008). This program was not only designed to help students be more prepared for the real world and the new demands of jobs, but also to get schools “closer to creating the kind of learning environment this generation of students needs, wants, and expects so they will stay in school”(ACOT²). Educators were seeing students as being unable to meet 21st Century demands nor were they engaged or stimulated to perform the work. The three phase process that ACOT² developed was designing core principles for 21st Century learning, implement them through technology and then apply them through an intentional project. Schools and districts that did participate, say they have seen an increase in student academics and engagement.
Using Pedagogy, Content, and Knowledge Interdependently
TPACK is a conceptual framework that Mishra and Koehler describe as the knowledge base for teachers to effectively teach with technology (2005). The theory is that the three domains Technology (TK), Pedagogy (PK), and Content (CK) working interdependently together would teach students 21st century skills while being engaged and meeting their new learning demands. The implications of TPACK are that it is difficult to use these domains interdependently when educators may not be well versed in a particular area. In the past professional development has only focussed on one area but now having to be experts and interplay all three areas, eductors have a lot on their plate. Graham in his research discusses how the domain that really needs to be strengthened in TPACK is the field of educational technology. He claims that it has been difficult to root theories for educational technology “due to rapid technological change (Richey, 1997; Roblyer & Knezek, 2003) Rein also discusses how TPACK has a “hidden complexity; easy to understand at a surface conceptual level” (Rein, 2011). It makes sense if educators are not well versed in one or more of the domains of TPACK, that their could be some major problems when it comes to integrating this into a classroom already filled with obstacles. Harvest MS, has really dedicated its energy towards shifting pedagogy and content to create an authentic learning environment. But now with the introduction of technology and the shift in roles with students (digital natives) and teachers, parents, etc. (digital immigrants), it’s hard to evaluate if one is using technology appropriately.
21st Century Skills Students Need
Much research has been developed around what skills this generation needs to be 21st century ready when they graduate and start a career, and why teaching them these skills is so important. In Blair’s section Technology Integration Remixed, she talks about the four C’s and how application of these skills in a “technology-infused life and workplace, requires them being taught in a technology-infused learning environment” (Blair, 2012). She claims that students need to be immersed in technology and as teachers and parents we need to trust them more, in terms of using in it. They need to be able to explore tools, not be confined to only a couple and then use them to apply their content knowledge. She also talks about how teachers need to shift from “creating presentations to crafting powerful learning activities” (2012). Students are the inquirers, explorers, designers, driven by their own engagement and curiosity. Friesen and Scott in their literature review also agree, claiming that their aim is to teach students 21st century skills through inquiry and discovery. Technology is the obvious route to engagement and deeper discovery for students, but are we truly allowing them to do this in these 1:1 device classrooms?