Personal Instructional Technology Philosophy

         As a Doctoral Candidate at Nova Southeastern University, we have been asked to contemplate and establish our own personal Instructional Technology Philosophy. This task is not easy for me, as my stance on technology has been generally swayed by my lack of knowledge of what specifically defines technology and what type of structure or policy we should maintain within our classrooms and our profession. With over 17 years in the secondary science classroom, I have seen technology evolve and reshape students’ perceptions and educational curriculum. This shift from the traditional tangible textbooks with a paper and pencil mentality, rapidly changed to online platforms, AI usage, and students who are far more digitally advanced than they were when I first got into education, has helped to add to the daily chaos we as educators endure. After compiling research, which I have provided to the reader, I believe that technology can be beneficial with proper guidelines and policies. 

Pros of Instructional Technology

         For the sake of readability, I have chosen to outline some of the documented pros for technology in the classroom.

·       Technology engages students (Timotheou et al., 2021)

·       Technology can increase learning in low-achieving students (Timotheou et al., 2021)

·       A wider span of content can be accessed (Timotheou et al., 2021)

·       Can improve fine motor skills (Carstens et al., 2021)

·       Normalizes students’ daily habits (Carstens et al., 2021)

·       Can encourage collaboration (Carstens et al., 20211)

Cons of Instructional Technology  

         Much like the pros for instructional technology, I have decided to outline some of the documented cons in the form of bullet points.

·       Teacher lack of information on the topic, need for more funded professional development (Garcia, 2023)

·       Creating a lack of critical thinking in student work (Garcia, 2023)

·       Reducing student accountability (Garcia, 2023)

·       Screen time encourages health defects (Strom, 2021)

·       Technology creates issues with mental health (Strom, 2021)

·       Students lack the cognitive ability to use technology responsibly (Strom, 2021)

Conclusion

Based on the current research presented, I can firmly state that the positives of technology integration do encourage students to be more engaged and take ownership of their learning. On the downside, teachers, educators, administration, and other stakeholders need to be aware of the complications of introducing and utilizing technology in their classrooms. Classroom management, clear expectations, monitoring, and policy should be put in place to ensure students are not skipping valuable processes or creating work that is not their own. With more research, trial and error approaches, and reflection of how technology is utilized, educating students properly to ensure they become "digital citizens" should become easier as we continue to navigate the choppy waters of technology integration in the classroom. 

References

Carstens, K., Mallon, J., Bataineh, M., & Al-Bataineh, A. (2021). Effects of Technology on Student Learning. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 20(1), 105–113. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1290791.pdfReferences

Garcia, A. (2023, April 10). Technology might be making education worse. News.stanford.edu; Stanford University.

 https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2023/04/technology-might-be-making-education-worse

‌Strom, A. (2021). The Negative Effects of Technology for Students and Educators.   

https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1322&context=e

ducation_masters

Timotheou, S., et al. (2021) “Impacts of Digital Technologies on Education and Factors

Influencing Schools’ Digital Capacity and Transformation: A Literature Review.” Education 

and Information Technologies, vol. 28, no. 28, 21 Nov. 2022, pp. 6695–6726,

 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9684747/, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11431-8.