Philosophy:
This page provides my Educational Technology Philosophy. This page will also provide insight and reflections into how I developed/adapted my philosophy throughout the course of my graduate studies at TAMUC.
This page provides my Educational Technology Philosophy. This page will also provide insight and reflections into how I developed/adapted my philosophy throughout the course of my graduate studies at TAMUC.
In ETEC 524, Introduction to Educational Technology, we had to write a Philosophy of Educational Technology. I have always struggled with this type of writing and communication. My family calls me the "Narrator"... I tend to go way more in depth and provide a backstory for the backstory which leads to the main point I was trying to get across to begin with. The same issue happened while trying to determine where to begin on my philosophy. To be honest, I didn't even know where to start. Should I begin with an engaging paragraph that shows where my passion and curiosity for technology all began as a young kid? Would adding that paragraph in at the beginning be too personal for a philosophy? I had a moment of internal struggle because ultimately all philosophers have a personal connection to the philosophies they share. Upon reflection and research of philosophies I decided to cut that paragraph from the very beginning. That paragraph is gone, but not forgotten. My origin story will always be there waiting to be shared when the time is right. I decided to take another path and venture into previous writings. I have written two other "philosophies" in my undergraduate studies one that demonstrated my classroom management beliefs and the other that demonstrated how learning would occur within my class. The problem with trying to use these as a starting point was the fact that technology was not a focal point within either. In fact, even though technology has been a major part of my entire life I didn't mention technology once within either of my original philosophies from several years ago. So while I could still apply the different pedagogies that I had previously established as an important part of my classroom community I had to find a way to connect everything that I believe in Educationally to the Technology Integration piece! These pieces should have never been separate to begin with, however, without the correct guidance in the beginning years of trying to be an educator I was clearly missing the opportunities to develop a philosophy that was relevant to the 21st century and beyond. There are two versions of my current Philosophy of Educational Technology that you can find in collapsible text below. The initial version contains several issues with grammar and sentence syntax. I had three classmates provide feedback through the comment feature of my original Google Doc. I have always been someone who struggles with grammar, and trying to include too many words in one sentence. I used the feedback of my peers in order to revise my original piece. There were some edits where it was as simple as adding or deleting punctuation. Other edits were for combining or separating sentences that could have been presented in a more appealing manner. In the end, after making several of the edits suggested by my peers, I feel as if I am confident in the current status of my philosophy. That being said, my philosophy is a living document that has the potential to continue to evolve.
Philosophy of Educational Technology Draft # 1: 6/28/2021
Just like the world around us, every classroom is its own individual community. Whether the students have a difference in race, culture, or language; or just a difference in learning styles, I believe it is my job to help students recognize and build off not only their own but each other’s skill sets. Our classroom community will build on the strengths of one another and will be a positive environment where students will learn to accept change and differences. Technology is a tool that when integrated correctly allows our classroom to transform from an ordinary classroom into a space that is collaborative and innovative. Technology is a tool that in my classroom will act as a bridge. A bridge between peers and a bridge that leads to the future successes of all students no matter where they currently are or where they plan on going.
Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was bombarded with learning theories and pedagogical practices. I learned a variety of lesson planning formats such as the 5E model and Understanding By Design. I learned about Vygotsky and the Constructivist approach to learning. I learned about all sorts of different types of students that I would encounter all in one classroom. I would be responsible for meeting the needs of ELL’s, students with 504’s or IEP’s, gifted students and many students who are twice exceptional. While I had to use technology in my classes as a way to submit assignments, none of my classes really prepared me for all of the ways that technology could be used in the classroom. I graduated with all of this information swirling around in my head, but I hadn’t really developed who I was as an educator. Today I am an educator who has continued to learn, grow, and shape my beliefs about how education should be. A great educator is one that chooses to never stop learning. An amazing educator is one that chooses not only to be a lifelong learner, but one that shares the learning with others. A phenomenal educator is one that is willing to take risks by applying and implementing what they have learned in the classroom, and sharing the successes and failures with others so that they too can learn and grow alongside you.
My educational philosophy for my classroom has always been a constructivist approach focusing on key features from Vygotsky’s “Zone of Proximal Development and Gagne’s “Nine Events of Instruction”. In an article about technology trends and the study of learning environments, by William Winn, he provides key information about the different ages of technology. Upon reflecting on my teaching and technology integration, I often consider my classroom balancing between the “Age of Simulation” and the “Age of Digital Learning Environments”. In Winn’s article he uses research from others to describe the age of simulation as “the key theoretical assumption of learning from simulations is that students construct understanding for themselves by interacting with information and materials, an orientation to learning that has acquired the name “Constructivism” (Duffy and Jonassen, 1992). Applied with care, and with special attention to “scaffolding” students’ learning as they interact with simulations (Linn, 1995), constructivist approaches to teaching and learning can be motivating and effective (see relevant sections of Brown et al., 1999).” Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development ties in very nicely with the constructivist approach as his learning theory calls for student to teacher/student to peer interaction and scaffolding, such as the “gradual release of responsibility”.
Recently, I read an article about how technology could never replace a great teacher. This article was written by Larry Ferlazzo, a writer for Education Week, and featured multiple educational professionals providing insight into whether or not that statement rings true. One of the contributors to this article was Mark Estrada, a Superintendent of Lockhart ISD in Texas. Estrada stated, “While I believe technology will never replace a great teacher, there will certainly be advancements in how we use educational technology to assess learning, communicate/report learning, learn content, learn skills, and improve the capacity of our brains to learn”. (M. Estrada, 2019) As an educator I have always tried to incorporate different technology tools into my classroom to engage students, but now I have a newfound appreciation for all that technology affords.
As mentioned in the quote above a great teacher can never be replaced, but technology allows for a type of learning that was once unimaginable. I believe that technology allows me to differentiate and facilitate in ways that were not previously afforded in a typical classroom. I believe that technology allows me to assess my students in ways far more meaningful and impactful to their learning than standardized tests. I believe that technology allows my classroom to have a line of communication that is always open. I believe that technology affords the learner with the opportunity to take their skills farther than they ever thought they could by being able to create, reimagine, and explore the digital world around them. I believe that by using the SAMR and TPCK models of technology integrations my students will be able to move beyond what is needed for “21st century skills” and move into the unknown as students capable of using technology to push the limits of the future.
One of the affordances I am going to focus on in my philosophy is technology as a bridge that allows all of my students to connect and learn the curriculum in a way that is beneficial to all. As established students come to the classroom at all different levels of prior knowledge. Technology is an educational tool that allows me to differentiate instruction and facilitate learning all at the same time. Technology is one way that I can close that gap in my classroom. By using technology to implement the nine steps of Ganges instructional model I can have students move through the lesson sequence digitally at their own pace. Students are able to move as fast as they need or at a slower pace as long as they are reaching designated checkpoints throughout the week. Students who are needing extra support are able to call upon their peers around them for assistance while moving through the tasks or request additional guidance from me. The major affordance of technology in this instance is the ability to consult and gauge what misconceptions and understandings my struggling students have, as well as, what my more gifted students are really understanding, and how I can pair them up in order to help close the gap between the two.
The second technology affordance I am going to focus on is technology as a key component of assessment. Eportfolios are a tool that I believe should have gained more momentum by not considering how long they have been on the market. Using technology for assessment allows students to create these expansive, multi-dimensional reflections of who they are as a whole. When we truly use technology for assessment, we are able to see where the student made growth, what their thought process was throughout, what reflections they have made, as well as, the ability to see connections that they have made that would have otherwise gone unseen. Throughout my years of teaching I have seen students who are excellent test takers but poor students and students who are poor test takers but excellent students. Technology allows students to be assessed in a variety of ways and styles. By using technology in a meaningful way, I can now easily meet the needs of all of my students and find what gaps truly exist and need to be filled. If I can look at the digital footprint of my students throughout each unit and establish exactly where they are struggling and could use additional support either from the content they create or the reflections and connections they make, then I would be able to ensure that growth is happening even if the numerical value of their test scores did not reflect the actual learning.
The third affordance that technology allows is for an open line of communication. Communication between peers as they collaborate on projects and assignments. Communication from teacher to student as feedback is provided in an efficient manner. Communication from student to teacher as they have unlimited opportunities to ask for assistance or receive clarification. Communication between parent and teacher as a strong relationship is established to ensure that we are all working together to do what is best for our students. Finally, communication between the students and the community around us as they share and report their learning in a variety of ways that technology allows us to do. Creating websites, videos, blogs, wikis, infographics, and many more mediums are all ways for students to communicate what they have learned. Communication has never been easier than it is with the technology that we have established today.
While there are many other affordances that technology in the classroom offers teachers, students, and the community the final one that I would like to focus on is how when technology, pedagogy, and content align with a digital lesson that has been boosted to a Modification or Redefinition level the learning that will take place within the classroom with be some of the most valuable learning of their lives. Most students use technology everyday. Their phones are always within arms reach. We, the teachers, have to educate our students on how to use technology in a way that transcends them from the basics and allows them to tap into this realm of endless possibilities. Gone are the days that technology was just used to help a student recall, explain, or simply apply their learning to some random digital tool… Today in my classroom, students will use technology to analyze, evaluate, and create what they learned into a masterpiece full of reflections and connections to the world around them.
In conclusion, just like the world around us, every classroom is its own individual community. Whether the students have a difference in race, culture, or language; or just a difference in learning styles, I believe it is my job to help students recognize and build off not only their own but each other’s skill sets. Our classroom community will build on the strengths of one another and will be a positive environment where students will learn to accept change and differences. Technology is a tool that when integrated correctly allows our classroom to transform from an ordinary classroom into a space that is collaborative and innovative. Technology is a tool that in my classroom will act as a bridge. A bridge between peers and a bridge that leads to the future successes of all students no matter where they currently are or where they plan on going.
References:
Brown, A., Bransford, J., and Cocking, R. (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind Experience and School, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
Duffy, T. M., and Jonassen, D. H. (1992). Constructivism: New implications for educational technology. In Duffy, T., and Jonassen, D. (eds.), Constructivism and the Technology of Instruction: A Conversation, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ
Kurt, S. "Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction," in Educational Technology, January 1, 2021. Retrieved from https://educationaltechnology.net/gagnes-nine-events-of-instruction/
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
Winn, W. D. (1993b). A constructivist critique of the assumptions of instructional design. In Duffy, T., Lowyck, J., and Jonassen, D. (eds.), Designing Environments for Constructive Learning. Springer, New York, pp. 189–212.
Philosophy of Educational Technology (Peer Reviewed and Edited): 7/2/2021
Just like the world around us, every classroom is its own individual community. Whether the students have a difference in race, culture, or language; or just a difference in learning styles, I believe it is my job to help students recognize and build off not only their own but each other’s skill sets. Our classroom community will build on the strengths of one another and will be a positive environment where students will learn to accept change and differences. Technology is a tool that when integrated correctly allows our classroom to transform from an ordinary classroom into a space that is collaborative and innovative. Technology is a tool, in my classroom, that will act as a bridge. A bridge between peers and a bridge that leads to the future successes of all students no matter where they currently are or where they plan on going.
Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was bombarded with learning theories and pedagogical practices. I learned a variety of lesson planning formats such as the 5E model and Understanding By Design. I learned about Vygotsky and the Constructivist approach to learning. I learned about all sorts of different types of students that I would encounter all in one classroom. I would be responsible for meeting the needs of ELL’s, students with 504’s or IEP’s, gifted students and many students who are twice-exceptional. While I had to use technology in my classes as a way to submit assignments, none of my classes really prepared me for all of the ways that technology could be used in the classroom. I graduated with all of this information swirling around in my head, but I hadn’t really developed who I was as an educator. Today I am an educator who is continuing to learn, grow, and shape my beliefs about how education should be. A great educator is one that chooses to never stop learning. An amazing educator is one that chooses not only to be a lifelong learner, but one that shares the learning with others. However, a phenomenal educator is one that is willing to take risks by applying and implementing what they have learned in the classroom, and sharing the successes and failures with others so that they too can learn and grow alongside you.
My educational philosophy for my classroom has always been a constructivist approach focusing on key features from Vygotsky’s “Zone of Proximal Development and Gagne’s “Nine Events of Instruction”. In an article about technology trends and the study of learning environments, by William Winn, he provides key information about the different ages of technology. Upon reflecting on my teaching and technology integration, I often consider my classroom balancing between the “Age of Simulation” and the “Age of Digital Learning Environments”. In Winn’s article he uses research from others to describe the age of simulation as “the key theoretical assumption of learning from simulations is that students construct understanding for themselves by interacting with information and materials, an orientation to learning that has acquired the name “Constructivism” (Duffy and Jonassen, 1992). Applied with care, and with special attention to “scaffolding” students’ learning as they interact with simulations (Linn, 1995), constructivist approaches to teaching and learning can be motivating and effective (see relevant sections of Brown et al., 1999).” Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development ties in very nicely with the constructivist approach as his learning theory calls for student to teacher/student to peer interaction and scaffolding, such as the “gradual release of responsibility”.
Recently, I read an article about how technology could never replace a great teacher. This article was written by Larry Ferlazzo, a writer for Education Week, and featured multiple educational professionals providing insight into whether or not that statement rings true. One of the contributors to this article was Mark Estrada, a Superintendent of Lockhart ISD in Texas. Estrada stated, “While I believe technology will never replace a great teacher, there will certainly be advancements in how we use educational technology to assess learning, communicate/report learning, learn content, learn skills, and improve the capacity of our brains to learn”. (M. Estrada, 2019) As an educator I have always tried to incorporate different technology tools into my classroom to engage students, but now I have a newfound appreciation for all that technology affords.
As mentioned in the quote above a great teacher can never be replaced, but technology allows for a type of learning that was once unimaginable. I believe that by using the SAMR and TPCK models of technology integrations my students will be able to move beyond what is needed for “21st century skills” and move into the unknown as students capable of using technology to push the limits of the future. Below, are some of my beliefs about technology in my classroom:
Technology allows me to differentiate and facilitate in ways that were not previously afforded in a typical classroom.
Technology allows me to assess my students in ways far more meaningful and impactful to their learning than standardized tests.
Technology allows my classroom to have a line of communication that is always open.
Technology affords the learner with the opportunity to take their skills farther than they ever thought they could by being able to create, reimagine, and explore the digital world around them.
One of the affordances I am going to focus on in my philosophy is technology as a bridge that allows all of my students to connect and learn the curriculum in a way that is beneficial to all. Students come to the classroom at all different levels of prior knowledge and some students need more assistance than others. Technology is an educational tool that allows me to differentiate instruction and facilitate learning all at the same time. Technology is one way that I can close that gap in my classroom. By using technology to implement the nine steps of Ganges instructional model I can have students move through the lesson sequence digitally at their own pace. Students are able to move as fast as they need or at a slower pace as long as they are reaching designated checkpoints throughout the week. Students who are needing extra support are able to call upon their peers around them for assistance while moving through the tasks or request additional guidance from me. The major affordance of technology in this instance is the ability to consult and gauge what misconceptions and understandings my struggling students have, as well as, what my more gifted students are really understanding, and how I can pair them up in order to help close the gap between the two.
The second technology affordance I am going to focus on is technology as a key component of assessment. Eportfolios are a tool that I believe should have gained more momentum by not considering how long they have been on the market. Using technology for assessment allows students to create these expansive, multi-dimensional reflections of who they are as a whole. When we truly use technology for assessment, we are able to see where the student made growth, what their thought process was throughout, what reflections they have made, as well as, the ability to see connections that they have made that would have otherwise gone unseen. Throughout my years of teaching I have seen students who are excellent test takers but poor students and students who are poor test takers but excellent students. Technology allows students to be assessed in a variety of ways and styles. By using technology in a meaningful way, I can now easily meet the needs of all of my students and find what gaps truly exist and need to be filled. If I can look at the digital footprint of my students throughout each unit and establish exactly where they are struggling and could use additional support either from the content they create or the reflections and connections they make, then I would be able to ensure that growth is happening even if the numerical value of their test scores did not reflect the actual learning.
The third affordance that technology allows is for an open line of communication. Communication between peers as they collaborate on projects and assignments. Communication from teacher to student as feedback is provided in an efficient manner. Communication from student to teacher as they have unlimited opportunities to ask for assistance or receive clarification. Communication between parent and teacher as a strong relationship is established to ensure that we are all working together to do what is best for our students. Finally, communication between the students and the community around us as they share and report their learning in a variety of ways that technology allows us to do. Creating websites, videos, blogs, wikis, infographics, and many more mediums are all ways for students to communicate what they have learned. Communication has never been easier than it is with the technology that we have established today.
There are many other affordances that technology in the classroom offers teachers, students, and the community. The final one that I would like to focus on is based on the combination of the TPACK model with SAMR. When technology, pedagogy, and content align with a digital lesson that is at a Modification or Redefinition level the learning that will take place within the classroom will be some of the most valuable learning of their lives. Most students use technology in some form every day. We, as teachers, have to educate our students on how to use technology in a way that transcends them from the basics and allows them to tap into this realm of endless possibilities. Gone are the days that technology was just used to help a student recall, explain, or simply apply their learning to some random digital tool. In my classroom, students will use technology to analyze, evaluate, and create what they learned into a masterpiece full of reflections and connections to the world around them.
References:
Brown, A., Bransford, J., and Cocking, R. (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind Experience and School, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
Duffy, T. M., and Jonassen, D. H. (1992). Constructivism: New implications for educational technology. In Duffy, T., and Jonassen, D. (eds.), Constructivism and the Technology of Instruction: A Conversation, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ
Kurt, S. "Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction," in Educational Technology, January 1, 2021. Retrieved from https://educationaltechnology.net/gagnes-nine-events-of-instruction/
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
Winn, W. D. (1993b). A constructivist critique of the assumptions of instructional design. In Duffy, T., Lowyck, J., and Jonassen, D. (eds.), Designing Environments for Constructive Learning. Springer, New York, pp. 189–212.