The report I chose to explore was "Learning in the 21st Century: Mobile + Social Media = Personalized Learning." The key findings from the report include the fact that personalized learning opportunities are opening up for student and educators through the combination of cell phones and social media and wireless internet. With more student owned devices in the classroom and with increased parental support using mobile technology in the classroom, there has been a shift to incorporate more wireless technology in the classroom. 87 percent of parents say that effective implementation of technology in instruction is important but only 64% say that the school is doing a good job. Administrators have reservations of accommodation mobile devices, with concerns like theft, network security, and digital equity among the top concerns.
These findings don't really surprise me. One finding of the report was that Administrators with 1-3 years of experience were "only slightly" more likely to use a smartphone or tablet than administrators with 16 years. I would expect there to be an age gap between administrators who are new to the job and those that have been in the field for 16+ years and that those who are younger would be more than "slightly" inclined to use mobile technology. Perhaps the gap between Administrators and Students/Teachers/Parents is that the Admin is less likely to use the devices in question. They probably aren't aware of the advantages of using technology in the classroom. It could also be that the new Administrators don't want to drastically restructure education. I fully intend on incorporating technology in my classroom. I hope to get a tablet or iPad so that I - and the students- can use it in class.
I am also not surprised in the gap of thinking between the students, teachers, parents and administrators. Each party has a idealistic approach on how technology can be used and it seems that those visions do not really align yet. I believe that over time the vision will begin to get on track and technology will soon become the predominate source of learning for students.
ReplyDeleteHi Lily,
ReplyDeleteI like the connection you made between the likelihood of educators familiarity with smartphones or tablets and their age. There seems to be two opposing presumptions among older teachers and administrators: 1. That any implementation of technology will engage students and help them learn or 2. That any use of technology is a distraction and should be avoided. Hopefully some middle ground can be reached where thoughtful implementation of technology is encouraged and supported by educators.