Personal Philosophy for using Technology in Education

What a time to be alive, where traditional classroom standards and curricula have had to

be modified to suit a more digital world. The pandemic has only been in Jamaica for a little over

a year, and yet, its advent has led to almost all schools switching the way of learning to various

online platforms, such as Google Classroom and Moodle. What does this now mean for

education, and what is the way forward now, using technology as the primary and not the

auxiliary means of learning?

I am of the belief that technology needed to have been integrated more into the teaching

and learning process from the moment that it started to evolve, especially since no one today is a

stranger to technological devices. Almost everyone today has a smartphone or a tablet, and this

was not the case as early back as twenty years ago. With the boom in technology, there arguably

has to be a focus on educating the populace on how to use it, and familiarizing them with it so

that they can integrate it into their regime more easily. This is more than just giving students

forty or sixty minutes of laboratory time in the computer lab each week, or allowing them to use

their phones in class. Technology encompasses more than just computers and smartphones.

There are a variety of different tools, software and applications which can greatly enhance how a

lesson is interpreted by the students, and allows them to be more hands-on with the teaching

content – even if it is simulated. More students today can – or could, given the chance –

participate in lessons and be engaged using platforms that allow everyone equal access, as

opposed to a teacher doing a demonstration. Visualizations need not be represented on the

chalkboard, but can be shown in 3-D, allowing the students to rotate and zoom into models to

understand concepts such as spatial arrangement, appearance, color, shape and other visual

identities. The lessons do not have to be teacher-centered, as the students are now able to access
the available resources and peruse them at their own leisure, even reading up on concepts which

are yet to be taught. This is just a small window into the possibilities which new and innovative

technology can open up for education, and if there was a shift in focus to this method of teaching

then new and innovative methods specifically geared for the classroom would be developed –

which will only serve to enhance the experience.

Since technology in the classroom is still technically a classroom setting, there has to be

certain rules and guidelines which govern its use. While technology has the potential to greatly

enhance the teaching and learning process, there also is the downside that its success primarily

depends on the user and how much the user is willing to interact with the technology. This really

cannot be controlled, inasmuch as a teacher can only do so much with a marker and a

whiteboard. What the teacher can do, however, is to implement certain rules in the classroom to

moderate these undesirable attitudes. The teacher may ask the students to have their camera open

while in an online class, and also to ensure that they are properly attired while doing so. For

primary and secondary schools, the appropriate garments would be uniform, but college and

university students may be asked to wear formal wear. Before classes are recorded, students

should be informed and should give their consent. Also, students should be muted unless

speaking, and should indicate when they want to speak by either raising their hands unless

otherwise indicated. Inappropriate language, background noise and other distractions should be

avoided as best as possible. The absence of these factors greatly enhances the learning process.

In a similar vein, students can be taught to properly manage the technology they are

using. Simple instructions such as avoiding certain pop-up sites, using the available resources to

complete the task given and remembering to disconnect the computer or device when not in use

are some of the ways in which technology can be managed by students. Encouraging students to
care for the devices they use ensures that a sense of responsibility is developed, and that the

students can be mindful of this each time they have a class or session. By developing these traits

from an early age, the teacher can then ensure that he or she plays an active role in developing a

citizen of society who is equipped with the right morals and values to make sound technology

decisions, and responsible ones as well.

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/derron-johnson/episodes/2021-06-13T11_18_49-

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https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/derron-johnson/episodes/2021-06-13T11_18_49-

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