Mikayla Ewell

ABC Community School

July 24, 2022

1
 Why we need to not Abandon Technology

Technology didn’t always seem like such an important topic to talk about. Technology evolved

over the past century, and it is forever changing. This includes people’s knowledge of technology

and how to teach it in schools. Technology is a connective resource for students, especially

during the Covid-19 pandemic. I would have not been able to take my classes for my degree

without learning about technology and how it truly is needed to stay in schools. Students will

stay focused because they are looking forward to using technology and understanding the

placement it has in our lives. Technology is used for students and teachers all around. It makes it

easier for teachers to be able to teach lessons and make the lessons more enjoyable rather than

just having a paper and pencil or a chalk board/white board. This is truly the next generation, and

it does need evolvement. My students can take their tablets and laptops whenever they leave the

classroom to go home. They can work on their assignments wherever they have internet. This

stops students losing their homework papers and helps them also stay more organized. There is

no benefit to abandon technology and take the normalcy that students have from their learning.

Students having tablets and laptops at home, this will help parents to be able to stay on track with

their children’s progress. This will make sure that they can be better monitored and the benefits

that come from within technology is a reason to make sure that students have this as an option. I

know that this will be beneficial to teach students how to write emails, essays, and making

assignments through Microsoft Word. Without these tools being available, students will struggle

with their studies, and this will make it more stressful for everyone that is taking a part of it all. I

know that I wouldn’t know how to teach properly because students are used to a certain way of

teaching, and it is abusive to take away what helps them rather than brings them down.

2
“Technology provides students with easy-to-access information, accelerated learning, and fun

opportunities to practice what they learn. It enables students to explore new subjects and deepen

their understanding of difficult concepts, particularly in STEM. Through the use of technology

inside and outside the classroom, students can gain 21st-century technical skills necessary for

future occupations.” (American University, School of Education, June 2020, How Important is

technology in education? Benefits, Challenges, and Impact on Students)

Identification of Standards

The first document that I inspected was the Nevada Computer and Technology Standards.

This document talked about integration for the 21st century for technology. This first talked about

how in Nevada and everywhere across the globe is growing with the knowledge that is needed to

be expected from students. The age of saying you don’t know much about technology is running

to the end and the vast majority should understand technology and for what it is. This document

talked about how the standards and indicators in the document are not specific to the technology,

but they are specific to the process of classroom technology integration and creating a 21 st

century learning experience for all Nevada students. I felt like this is needed to be enforced and

needs to be spoken about. I enjoyed reading the acknowledgements that people assumed about

technology and why people were so stubborn to integrate technology into school. The document

said that “standards bear a 5–7-year lifespan.” (p.4) After reading the Nevada Computer and

Technology Standards, I switched to the ISTE standards. ISTE or The International Society for

Technology in Education. These standards fall around the same subject, but are they the same?

Or are they completely different from one another? The document talking about the Nevada

standards for technology shows the same expectations for students that the national standards

3
involve. The ISTE student standards require students to be an empowered learner, being a digital

citizen, knowledge constructing, innovative designing, computational thinking, being a creative

communicator, and lastly, being a global collaborator. So, what does all of this mean? These are

main reasons why technology can benefit students. The one I am going to talk about today is

being a Creative Communicator. This is where “students will be able to communicate clearly and

express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats

and digital media appropriate to their goals.” (iste.org 1.6 Creative communicator) This is a

major portion to help younger students and help guide their path into understanding technology

better than before. Technology is more than just a smart phone or tablet. Technology gives

students to be a better version of themselves and excel in doing so. This will better prepare them

for when these standards evolve into other standards for the next generation. I have learned that

technology is never going to end, and we constantly have to keep ourselves informed and

updated. Technology is going to be able to give students the skills that they are needing in the

future to succeed and be able to pass on to other generations. These two documents both talked

about what is to be expected for the outcome for students with technology, and they are both

very similar views on this subject.

Lesson Plan

Name of Lesson: Library Book Inspection

Grade Level Appropriateness: 1st Grade

Technology Content Standard Addressed: Creative Communicating: “students will be able to

communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the

platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.”

4
Other Content Standard Addressed: The student who is information literate accesses

information efficiently and effectively (English Language Arts/Reading Grade one standards,

CCSD)

Objective: The student will be able dive deeper into a book that they wouldn’t normally choose.

This will be able to give their thoughts on the book before reading it, then they will be able to

find facts about the book they didn’t already write down. This will further their knowledge prior

to reading the entire book. This will teach students to do an overview of a book before reading

initially.

Materials needed to facilitate the lesson: First, A hand out to give to the students that allows

for them to write facts prior to going to the computer lab, and after the computer lab. Secondly,

the book that the student is able to choose from the library. Thirdly, a pencil to write with. And

lastly, a computer to be able to use for research on the book.

Suggested group size: This will be a personal work assignment and shouldn’t be shared

completely with other students until the discussion portion when everyone is able to share what

they found about the book.

Procedures: We are going to go to the Library at 9am on Monday, and they are all needing to

check out a book of their choice that interests them. Before students line up, make sure each

student has a pencil to bring with them, and make sure that each of them have the handout for

this assignment. I printed the assignment out prior, and they are on my desk. Explain to the

students that we are going to the library for a work assignment, and they are needing to check out

a book of their choice that they would like to read. After all the students have their supplies and

understand where we are heading to, make sure they line up quietly and they are ready to head to

the library. The book of their choice could be a Dr. Suess book, I just wanted to make sure that

5
they are able to choose whatever book that pleases them. After checking out the book, students

are going to inspect the book and write down what stands out to them right away while we are

still in the library. Later in the day, they are going to go to the computer lab (at 12pm) where we

can use the desktops. In the computer lab, they are needing to find 3 facts about the book they

chose and see if they noticed these facts before looking them up. If they are the same facts that

they wrote prior, they will need to find different facts about the book. When we have our data

from the computer lab, we will walk back to our classroom, and they will need to take their sheet

with their facts and their book home for the week. They are going to need to read the book for

homework and have it completed by Friday. On Friday, they are going to come back to class and

tell me and their classmates what they learned about their book of choice and talk about what

their favorite part of reading the book was.

Assessment: I will be grading this assignment based on participation. Students need to

remember to not repeat facts and make sure they are able to find 3 facts for the book that they

didn’t know of before. Students need to give me an understanding of this short story without

reading it. They need to know their facts and come prepared when they are sharing with me and

the class. There is only 10 points possible for this assignment. One point per fact they wrote prior

to researching, One point per fact found through research, their name is written on their paper,

the correct date is written on the paper, they are able to explain the book to their peers with little

to no hesitation about what the book is, and one point for bringing the materials back to class to

be able to complete the assignment.

6
 Student Sample

This Photo by Unknown Author is

licensed under CC BY
Green Eggs and Ham. By: Dr. Seuss

The 3 things that stood out to me:

1. There are Christmas Colors on the cover.

2. The character on the cover is very hairy

3. There Eggs and the Ham are green.

Computer Lab Facts and Finds:

1. Green Eggs and Ham uses only 50 different words in the book.

2. Green Eggs and Ham was published by Random House in 1960.

3. Dr. Suess is only a pen name. His real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel.

I was able to take the book and her fact sheets home and read the entirety of the book

I was able to choose.

I came back with my book and my facts talking about the book on Friday. I talked

about how I have never read this book before, and I have only heard about it from my

parents. I said that I was only reading how the book was from the cover and was glad

7
 that I was able to read the book, with the help of my parents. My facts that I wrote

down prior to taking it to the computer lab weren’t wrong, but I was able to learn

more about the book and for what it is. I lastly explained that I wouldn’t want to eat

green eggs and ham if I had to be in that position.