Role of Teachers in Digital Learning Era

Role of Teachers in Digital Learning Era

What are the emerging trends in educational technology?

With technology growing as fast as it is, there are hundreds of great options for integrating it into the classroom. Some of the emerging technologies that have caught a lot of attention are so follows:

• Genius Hour 
• One hour dedicated to an educational project of the students' choosing.  It is used to motivate students and increase engagement.  Genius hour can be setup and monitored by requiring students to keep logs of their learning, and the projects they put together.  
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• A term for all of the devices we use that connect to the internet.  They range from wearable devices (smart watches, VR headsets, etc.) to classroom technology (augmented reality).
• Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Teaching students to process and imagine emotions.  Focus is often put on positive goal setting, building relationships, and showing empathy. 
• While this might not always involve the use of technology, I think it is extremely important that in an age of less face-to-face interactions, we explicitly teach social skills.  

How do they reshape the culture of learning and teaching?

Emerging trends reshape the culture of learning and teaching because it challenges relationships to shift in the classroom.  Traditionally teachers would lecture at the front of the room, and students would listen then be expected to ask questions.  With emerging trends there is more engagement expected from all students, and many of this is via technology.  For example, with the internet of things, students can have their own devices that they use to respond to questions, or practice skills with in increments.  Genius hours and the internet allows them to do more research, and make meaning, rather than being given information.  SEL puts relationships, social time, and positivity as a prerequisite to success in the classroom.  All of these shift the culture of a classroom from knowledge transfer, to a community of learners.  

What is the role of teachers in an era of digital learning? 

With new technology and mindsets of learning in the classroom, teachers are becoming facilitators of learning.  Explicit instruction is still required, but not all of the time.  With information being readily available anywhere, it is common for students to be expected to interact with content at home, and come to school ready for reinforcement (flipped classrooms).  Students are able to work on skills in which they are given immediate feedback in online formats, while teachers are working with smaller groups of students.  With VR technology, students are more engaged and experiencing scenarios/settings thus boosting engagement during instruction times.

With a world full of information, it is crucial that teachers focus on digital literacy and digital citizenship.  Students must learn to think about the information in front of them, and determine what is real and what is fake.  What is a trusted source, and what is incorrect information?  How does empathy change when you are not interacting with someone face to face?  This is where teachers are going to be doing the most facilitating.  Genius hour should be encouraged, but monitored and guided to ensure that students are not developing misconceptions or gathering incorrect information.  

New Literacies in a Participatory Culture

What is a participatory culture?

Participation culture is one where members believe their contributions matter, and they can find a group of people with the same interests.  Participation culture is very social, as members feel connected with one another.  Many times people find inspiration in others, support, and even mentorship.  Media created is done so not to make money, but to share and learn from each others.  One example of this is YouTube, or Reddit.  Online communities such as these, are having an impact on political issues, and provide new perspectives.  People are sharing their thoughts, opinions, worries about various issues in the world at little to no cost, with large audiences. 

There are different types of participatory culture, as noted in "Confronting the Challengesof Participatory Culture:Media Education for the21st Century".  These include:  

• Affiliations
• Expressions
• Collaborative-problem solving
• Circulations

With participation culture becoming such a huge part of our world, it is important that we are teaching the required skills with students.  By not doing so, students will still be part of the participation culture, but with little to no guidance.  As Henry Jenkins pointed out in his video,  high school students without new literacies were more connected and excited about projects outside of school. Without addressing these in the classroom, we are letting students down.  Everything taught in education is still important in their lives, but they will share and discuss in different formats than past generations. 

How can you embrace the best of participatory cultures into everyday practices of your classroom/schooling? 

We can embrace participatory cultures into daily classroom routines by letting students interact digitally.  Students can discuss their opinions or understandings via YouTube videos, written blogs, editing a Wikipedia page, or otherwise interacting digitally.  We can use this for networking with experts in a field, seeing videos, and having students create or challenge other opinions.  There is a lot of potential for participation with STEM fields, projects, and researching people who are out there impacting fields in "affinity spaces".  

Deweyan Experience

The Deweyan experience is when material experienced "runs its course to fulfillment."  The way that it ends and the way that it connects to what was previously taught is noteworthy in what "an" experience is.  His version of an experience starts within a student, rather than just the student engaged in what was asked of them to engage in.  This reminds me a lot of project based learning, where the direction of learning is fueled by the student with the teacher facilitating rather than lecturing.  

Emerging technology can create "an" experience because it allows learners to virtually engage in actual fields and apply skills that without technology is not possible.  It allows learners to connect what they learn and then see it in action.  It also enables a deeper understanding of content when they are able to engage in this way. In some ways, it changes the culture in a classroom to be more team based. 

Wise Integration of Technology

The SAMR model 

The SAMR model is intended to help educators be purposeful in their integration of technology.  Each of the four steps in the model represent a different purpose for using the technology.  The first two, Substitution and Augmentation, enhance lessons while the second two, Modification and Redefinition transform the learning experience. The SAMR model is a spectrum of possibilities in the 21st century classroom.  It is important to note that there is a time and place for each of the four steps.  Technology must aid in the learning objectives for its role to be justified.

Examples for each of the four steps is listed at the bottom of this page.

Check out this video explanation!

The SAMR model helped me expand my understanding of wise integration of technology by breaking down the purpose of each of the steps in the model.  For example, if I am merely substituting technology with paper and pencil, I should be asking "what do I have to gain from this?"  The visual is also a great help because the steps are in a logical order, and are labeled as enhancement or transformation.  It is a great reminded to be purposeful in the technology choices made in the classroom.

Triple E Framework

The Triple E Framework is a research driven approach to enhancing learning with technology.  Its three components are the engagement in learning goals, enhancement of learning goals, and extensions of learning goals. It is different from other models because it focuses on how technology can help student achievement in learning objectives.  

Check out this video explanation!

This framework solidifies my understanding about wise integration of technology because it is directly aligned with learning objectives.  To me, it makes the most sense that technology is used to engage learners, enhance their experiences, and allow extensions.  While other models are more technical, this one feels more student centered.  

SAMR Examples
Substitution	v  Digital copy of reading v  PowerPoint/Google Slide presentation v  Typing in replace of writing on paper v  Online textbook/E-Book
Augmentation	v  Interactive links to a topic v  Video presentation
Modification	v  Creation of digital project- graphic organizer, PowerPoint, etc. v  Online collaboration on a project
Redefinition	v  Network with others from other parts of the world/country v  Collect data from people in other regions

Does Technology Influence Learning?

Does technology influence learning? Since the 20th century there has been a disagreement on whether or not technology affects education. Clark argues that technology is a tool that can be used in effective instruction. This tool is only effective at surface level, and will not be able to attain depth of knowledge on its own. He also notes that the research attempts of this subjects are inconclusive, as they would need replaceability tests. In one study, drill and practice achieved the same results in the classrooms with and without the technology. Kozma, however, believes that educational technology is a design science. If there is not yet a relationship between technology and learning, we can forge one. Rather than asking "does technology affect learning?", he is posing, "will technology affect learning someday?" To see video recap about this, click here. My position on this matter is with Clark. I do believe that the instruction is what matters, and the technology is a tool. I wanted to be on board with Kozma in his beliefs that we can create a way for technology to influence learning alone, but it doesn't fit with the psychology of learning. In Lev Vygotsky's social development theory, making meaning depends largely on social interaction, a more knowledgeable person, and the zone of proximal development. Technology can come into play here in all three aspects, but I do not believe it can replace the primal need of face to face. What media does do, is allow us to hit the four learning styles (whether you believe in those or not) in a shorter amount of time. I would like to note that this debate began in the 90's, and we still do not have a sufficient amount of studies in the field of educational technology. Without accurate studies, it would be irresponsible to claim that a deep level of meaning can be obtained virtually.