An Excuse Against Technology - Is There Such a Thing?

Note: Hello EME5050 class! Welcome to my "teacher blog". I'm a huge blog lurker of others that talk about what works in their classrooms, and what cute crafts they made to use for their students... so I made this blog just before the New Year! So, if you look outside of the Learning Journal posts, you will see things specific to my classroom - maybe something I've made for them, or a lesson that we did that day, etc. There's no need for you to have to look if you don't like, but you're more than welcome to check out the other parts of my blog. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's no question that we live in a society run by technology, and yet day after day people make countless excuses to not learn/use the tech in their lives. Teachers seem to be the worst.

"It takes away from instruction."

"My students will be too distracted by the ads."

"I just don't have the time."

Principal Bill Powers made a post dealing with the very topic almost a year ago (on this particular blogger's birthday no less!). In it he brings up both sides of the argument involving technology, then poses the question "what do you think/believe?"

To answer Powers' question, you have to think about how much technology is integrated into life on a daily basis. For instance, I am currently writing on an Internet journal system (known as a blog) on one laptop, while my other laptop is hooked up to the TV and I'm streaming an episode of one of my favorite shows (Veronica Mars).  I am also checking in with my students while they study for a Science test in Weather and the Water Cycle on studyisland.com. My boyfriend is next to me on his laptop doing class work/playing on Facebook. Between us, there sit two iPhones that are consistently checked. And that's just one specific moment.

During the day, the students in my class and I work with eight different laptops, a SmartBoard, a document camera, and my phone, which is constantly used to track "Class Dojo" points (if you don't know what that is, check it out here. My kids love it, and it makes for a great class management system!). Being able to put grades into a system that automatically calculates averages and has attendance automatically attached to it has worked wonders for being a first year teacher.

My team mates? Not so much. They complain often about not being able to do it just hand written, and about having to integrate any type of technology into their lessons. For them, it takes too much time to find the sources that can be helpful in the lessons.

But is that an excuse? To not have enough time?

My personal opinion is that no, it is not.

Educators these days are teaching to a room full of digital students that are used to having multiple technological outputs running data through their brains. Having the constant connection to just the Internet alone allows students to have access to a vast array of information that they can understand on their own terms. They can pull up any facts they want about their favorite singer, movie, or video game.

If students are able to work quickly to understand information they read online, why not use that to a teacher's advantage? If an educator's purpose is to ensure that all students master the material needed for that grade, why not let them learn using a tool that they don't only know but love?

When I was a student in elementary school, it was unheard of for a teacher to have a computer in their room. Now, we have eight in my classroom. Every year, technology charges through change, and students are charging right along with it.

So, is there an excuse to not join the technological movement? Is it okay to sit back and say "I just don't have the time," even if that site you could come across would be beneficial?

Not if you want your students to be given the best opportunity to learn.


Resources
Powers, B. (2013) Why 'I don't have time for technology' is No Longer Excusable. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/i-dont-have-time-for-technology/

Shelly, G., et al (2012). Integrating Technology in a Connected World. Boston, MA: Course Technology, CENGAGE Learning