I had some thought provoking questions asked of me yesterday regarding the purpose of technology in education. The questions were asked "does it make us better teachers? and does it make the students better students?" To which, I so confidently said "yes". Wasn't it obvious? In the 21st century, isn't it a given that we approach learning with a technological frame mind. (Not-so-fast!) Then I took a step back and took a deep breath. While I firmly believe that technology CAN make teachers better teachers and students better students, that isn't necessarily the belief of all teachers. In addition, just because technology is available, it doesn't mean that it is being used in a way that profoundly effects education. It is my job to hopefully change stakeholder beliefs and train them to be the best technologically-based teachers possible. I strongly believe that technology CAN, when used effectively encourage and promote:
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativity
- Critical Thinking