Reflection on EdTech

As I read about Larry Cuban, there were a few of his views on ed tech that stand out to me.  One of the biggest takeaways is from the article Predictions about Technology in K-12 and Higher Education for 2025.  In the article, Larry discusses how there are pockets of teachers who are able to integrate the use of technology into their daily practices.  However, this does not appear to be the norm.  When he talks about technology in these classes are present in the background, I love this idea/comment.  I often meet with teachers who feel they are struggling with the technology and how they are trying to use it in their classroom.  I will be the first person to say to them that maybe this is not the right task for integrating technology or maybe they are using the wrong technology for the task.  They are often amazed to hear a tech person tell them to not use technology.  Also, working with teachers, I often hear their grumbling as far as administration purchasing tech tools and expecting them to use them with no feedback or input from the teachers and also not enough professional learning in place to help the teachers experience ways of using the technology in the classroom.  Larry Cuban even references this when he says "Policymakers and IT specialists continue to give one another high-five hand slaps in getting interactive whiteboards, laptops, and tablets to more and more teachers and students."   This may be why I did not fit the best in the IT centered role.  I feel I see the bigger picture that technology needs to be available but there is so much more to it than just purchasing it and getting it in the hands of the teachers and the students.  I feel I connect to Larry Cuban in that I have my concerns with technology in the classroom and where it is going.  But I am also a believer and feel with the right supports and communication with all stakeholders when will continue to see learning taking place with technology supporting it when needed.

Team EA Vision Project

I was extremely lucky to be able to work with a great group from my EDCI 325 class at UVM over the last two weeks.  We were Team EA- Equity and Access.  It was a great task to work collaboratively using a Google Doc, Trello and to be able to do a Hangout to chat about our vision, plan, project, and our own thoughts.  Our final vision project was a Google site:EA School of Innovation. After looking at our core values, we each picked one to share our thoughts on and then the group provided great support to help build our final vision together.  It was a great process that I am glad I was able to participate in with this being an online course.