Consuming Instruction
The cookie-cutter method of consuming instruction does not work for today’s digital learner. As the evolution of technology continues, students are consuming more and more content digitally. Siri and Alexa answer their beck and call. Media giants such as Apple and Netflix provide endless bingeable content. Apps prevent boredom, and social media platforms provide socialization. Marketing expert Heidi Cohen (2017) explains that there are five types of media consumption that today’s generation engages in: focused (fully engaged with one device), dual (engaged with multiple devices at the same time), information snacking (consuming small bits of media to fill time, such as checking e-mail or reading the news), time-shifted content (saving or storing media to use later), and content binging (consuming large portions of content in one sitting). Today’s youth is comfortable with consuming information from a variety of modern formats. This is the generation in which newspapers, cable and local television, and libraries are becoming obsolete. This digital lifestyle translates into the academic setting as well. Students are craving a variety of ways to get information, and traditional textbooks and workbook pages are becoming a thing of the past. With curriculum becoming so packed, there are more things to cover in less time, and it’s inevitable that students have to consume at least some of their instruction independently. Using technology to assist with this provides a variety of ways for students to get what they need outside of explicit teacher instruction. Examples of digital means in which students may consume instruction include webpages, online simulators, online and digital books, podcasts, YouTube channels, gaming platforms, and WebQuests.
Applying Instruction
Increasing rigor in instruction is all the buzz today. Educators are looking for ways to improve the cognitive depth that their students demonstrate. The idea is that students truly have attained mastery when they can apply their learning, synthesize information, and transfer information from one context to another. Technology in the classroom assists students in gathering the information they need for deeper understanding and provides avenues for them to demonstrate their learning. By presenting interactive experiences and assignments, teachers can provide students with unique opportunities to learn by doing. It’s important that teachers are using technology to bring real-world problems into the classroom for students to explore and connect with. This application of learned content helps students transfer what is happening in the classroom to real-world skills needed in the 21st century. Students are using problem-solving skills not only to find a solution to the task; they are discovering their own strengths and weaknesses and challenging themselves to persevere through problems. With an increased focus on college and career readiness among graduates, the value of this cannot be overlooked. Students can apply instruction through technological means such as collaborative work/group assignments, using software programs for design or creation, interactive discussions through online forums or social media sites, online multimedia projects, student-created websites, and online journal entries.
Future Expectations
1:1 Computing
With all the benefits of using technology in the classroom, it is no wonder that it can be considered the future of education. Schools across the country are making a big push to get technology into the hands of their students. Having computers or tablets for every single learner so that they can access digital media and online content to enhance the learning process is referred to as 1:1 computing. The prevalence of 1:1 computing in classrooms around the U. S. is rising every year. Schools are hoping to increase student achievement and build 21st-century skills at the same time. A report from Front Row Education shows that more than 50% of teachers now have a 1:1 student-to-device ratio (EdTech Staff, 2017.) The goal is that the increased technology in the classroom will assist teachers in creating the more personalized learner experience we discussed earlier in this chapter. Students will be able to access content tailored to their instructional level while having the resources needed to complete complex and rigorous assignments. Ideally, student-centered, project-based learning would increase without sacrificing the individual attention the teacher can provide.
College and Career Ready in the 21st Century
College and career readiness has been on the forefront of educational discussion since the introduction of Common Core standards in 2009. Being ready for a career means that high school graduates have the skills needed to succeed in the workforce or college studies. But exactly what role does technology play in that? Students who are college and career ready are those that have experienced personalized, rigorous, and differentiated schooling—an experience that we’ve already noted can be provided by using technology in the classroom. David Goodrum, director of academic technology and information services at Oregon State University, states that “a 21st century view of learner success requires students to not only be thoughtful consumers of digital content, but effective and collaborative creators of digital media, demonstrating competencies and communicating ideas through dynamic storytelling, data visualization and content curation” (Kelly, 2018). We are looking for students who can strategize solutions for real-world problems, partner with others to develop unique ideas and bring them to fruition, and use digital resources to shape the outcome. In an article by Piliouras et al. (2014), the authors state that “technology proficiency confers a competitive edge to students competing on a global stage” and “can help students develop soft skills—such as helping others, teamwork, collaboration, and group research.” Using technology to support academic instruction provides meaningful experiences that help students develop into thoughtful, intentional decision makers who can successfully work in a collaborative environment. Open-ended projects that use technology enhance creativity and encourage out-of-the-box thinking to prepare students for life experiences in the 21st century.
Best Practice in Question
Cautionary Thoughts
As technology changes, there is no doubt that the way we teach and learn can and will change, too. We can’t—and shouldn’t—detach ourselves from the ever-changing technology machine or the digital influences in our lives. We must proceed with caution, though, in allowing technology to consume our educational system. With every new trend in education comes the potential for underlying problems. Where is the line between enough technology and too much? How can you ensure authentic and original work in online collaborative communities? What are the long-term health risks from overusing technological devices? Does technology make students lazy? As educators, it is our responsibility to remove the obstacles that prevent our students from reaching their greatest potential. That means creating classrooms that provide an eclectic approach to designing and delivering instruction. The education system needs to adapt to new methods of teaching while being mindful of the research that supports a variety of methodologies. The most innovative way to improve student performance is to use multiple modalities of instruction and keep the varied learning intelligences of the student in mind. Using technology to support those efforts is wise, but it must be done carefully and intentionally.
A Desire for Change
The best practice in education is to use what we know from research to drive our decisions in the classroom. That being said, we can’t deny the research presented both here and in Chapter 2 that supports the importance of balancing both movement and technology. The physical, social, and emotional effects of increasing technology are alarming. The physical, social, and emotional effects of increasing movement are encouraging! We must unite the two in order to create a 21st-century classroom that has the best interests of the whole child at heart—a balanced classroom in which students can satisfy their body’s need for movement and their brain’s desire for novelty, one in which the digital devices that provide students with comfort and security are balanced with activities that build interpersonal skills and stretch students outside their comfort zone. Teachers who desire