Employers require their employees to be conversant with the newest technology. In education, technology has proven itself to be a problem and a solution over time. It is a double-edged sword, as students may benefit from technology in the classroom when it is used for legitimate pedagogical aims. However, students must be supervised carefully to ensure that they are using the technology for approved purposes and not being distracted by it. The problem of the use of cell phones in the classroom is a favorite topic of NCU student essays because it is controversial. Some teachers have found beneficial activities that students can participate in from their phones while others ask students to leave their phones inside backpacks for the duration of the class. There are debates about whether teacher opposition to phones in the classroom stems from the need to maintain order or whether teachers simply do not want to learn new technology. Parents are another set of stakeholders who may either view phones as a necessary safety device or feel that young students do not need phones or do not have the maturity to keep expensive equipment in one piece. Attitudes toward cellphone use in the classroom may also evolve over time.
Something that is not controversial is the need for educational leaders to use technology to improve schools. Interestingly enough, in one article from this week’s reading, principals were concerned about their own technological fluency.
While you are reading the resources, think about how technology and your problem intersect. What solutions to your problem have experts proposed that use technology? Technology is one of those subjects that excites strong feelings; so when you search for your own sources, be wary of articles that seem to be written by technology’s cheerleaders or detractors. An important part of critical thinking is being able to detect bias or logical fallacies. The key words this week are over time” as sometimes opinions about technology change over time from fear to acceptance or from excitement to boredom when the wow factor of a new gadget has worn off.
