Democratic Action Plan - Paper Example on Technology

Introduction

In week three, I concluded that the best solution for the problem at hand is to adopt new technology. The survey I conducted with the school's stakeholders, as well as the internet research I did, reveals that it is a handy learning tool. It is a valuable tool to enhance the success in most classroom practices. Therefore, when integrated thoughtfully, I believe it is going to solve the time management problem that is facing the school in general and in turn affecting the progress of the students. According Flewitt, Messer & Kucirkova (2015), technology must be integrated across the school's curriculum in ways that intensify the process of learning. Distinctly, technology must be incorporated in a way that it can support four fundamental learning components including active engagement, group participation, connection to real-world pundits and sustained commitment and feedback (Bruce & Chiu, 2015). Also, the only way effective integration of new technology will be achieved is if its use in the classroom is going to be transparent and aimed at supporting students' and teachers' goals.

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To ensure that effective integration of new technology is achieved, I must follow a few steps. The first step will be to acknowledge the changes that might need to happen for both my students and I in their approach to learning and my approach to teaching (Semali, 2017). I will need to understand that if I bring technology into the classroom, I will seize being the center of attraction, depending on the type of technology introduced (for example, tablets, mobile phones, laptops, e-readers or interactive whiteboards) (Hwang, Lai & Wang, 2015). The second step will be to assess the kind of technology that the school can afford for me to understand how the learning and teaching process will change. This is because different types of techniques can affect the two operations differently (Tondeur, van Braak, Siddiq & Scherer, 2016).

For instance, if the school can only afford a whiteboard and a single computer for the entire class, learning will remain teacher-centered, therefore, it will not tend to student's needs. However, if the school can provide tablets for each student, the learning process will be student-centered. The third step will be to understand the technology. For instance, I need to know the skills that my students and I will need to have to use the technology (Tondeur, van Braak, Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2017). I will also need to plan on the number of tools to introduce every year, will need to assess how the chosen technology will help the students and I will need to know the level of integration I want in my classroom among others. The final step will be to build a professional development plan to help my students, and I use the technology effectively to solve the problem at hand.

To achieve my first step, I will have a conversation with the students and other key stakeholders such as their parents to ensure they understand the changes likely to come with the new technology. Consequently, I will hold a meeting with the school board to know the type of technology that the school can afford for my class. Once I have this information, I will have to talk to the IT specialist in the school to acquire the information I need about the new technology and finally I will seek advice from my fellow teachers who have done this before to build a great professional development plan (Jones & Dexter, 2014)

To evaluate progress, I will answer the following questions:

Are the students using the technology just because it is available or does it have an actual impact on the learning process? (Owen, 2014)

Is the technology saving time for both teachers and students? Are they achieving their daily objectives?

Is the technology allowing teachers and students to do old things in new ways but faster?

Is the technology creating different and exciting learning experiences for the students?

References

Bruce, D. L., & Chiu, M. M. (2015). Composing with new technology: Teacher reflections on learning digital video. Journal of Teacher Education, 66(3), 272-287.

Flewitt, R., Messer, D., & Kucirkova, N. (2015). New directions for early literacy in a digital age: The iPad. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 15(3), 289-310.

Hwang, G. J., Lai, C. L., & Wang, S. Y. (2015). Seamless flipped learning: a mobile technology-enhanced flipped classroom with effective learning strategies. Journal of Computers in Education, 2(4), 449-473.

Jones, W. M., & Dexter, S. (2014). How teachers learn: The roles of formal, informal, and independent learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(3), 367-384.

Owen, J. E. (2014). Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen. Journal of College Student Development, 55(7), 751-753.

Semali, L. M. (2017). Literacy in multimedia America: Integrating media education across the curriculum. Routledge.

Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., Ertmer, P. A., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2017). Understanding the relationship between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and technology use in education: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. Educational Technology Research and Development, 65(3), 555-575.

Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., Siddiq, F., & Scherer, R. (2016). Time for a new approach to prepare future teachers for educational technology use: Its meaning and measurement. Computers & Education, 94, 134-150.