What's happening in Instructional Technology: Surprising Trends and their Consequences Christina Freeman-Canavan California State University, Monterey

Bay

IST 524 Instructional Technology December 3, 2013

According to a report released by Consumer Electronics Association, there is a considerable degree of support for technology in education among parents and students (Meyer, 2012). The report revealed that 75 percent of parents of school-aged kids believe technology improves the learning experience and 69 percent believe all K-12 students should have access to the Internet for educational purposes(Meyer, 2012). Technology in the classroom is one of the up and coming trends but the report also stated that the majority of classrooms have limited access to technology (Meyer, 2012). There is a huge gap between the need for technology and the actual acquisition of technology in the classroom. This essay will discuss the rising trend of technology in the classroom and the surprising consequences. In 2001, Marc Prensky, best known for coining the term digital native warned us, "Our students have changed radically. Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach (Wylie, 2013). Classrooms are not keeping up with the increasing rise of technology. One reason is monetary. Districts cannot support the financial requirements to bring classrooms up to date with current technological trends. However, the need is present. There is a big gap between overall vision and overall tools (Schwartz, 2013) available to teachers. Another reason technology is lacking in classrooms is due to teacher resistance. Many teachers find the problems linked with technology to be too much of a burden. Some believe technology doesnt enhance student motivation, learning, or achievement and their pedagogy is aligned with more traditional teaching models. And others just dont know how to work the technology that is available to them and the professional development that is needed is not being provided. However, some teachers are embracing technology in the classroom. One exciting trend is the use of mobile devices. The use of cell-phones in the classroom was almost certainly

banned across schools in the U.S. Now with the emergence of smart phones, the possibilities of learning in new ways are endless. Teachers are finding exciting ways to use mobile devices in creative lessons and phones have become powerful learning tools. There are apps that allow students to create videos in a short period of time. Teachers can use sites such as Poll Everywhere to create quick quizzes in which students can text their answers for real time results. Students can use the Google app to search for information for a research report they are writing. Elliot Soloway, a professor at the University of Michigan states, Technology has finally advanced to where mobile devices are cheap enough and powerful enough to use (Schacter, 2009). Yet a survey conducted by Common Sense Media in 2009 found that almost 70 percent of schools around the country ban student cell phone use during the school day (Schachter). But studies are now emerging and beginning to show a link between the use of mobile devices apps, and student motivation and achievement. One such study at the Abilene Christian University focused on an app used for Statistics. Students said that using the app helped them understand the content better, and were more motivated to do wellthe instructors agreed with this observation (Wylie, 2013). In another study by Kent State University, researchers looked at students from four elementary school and two middle schools. These classes were provided with tablets and were observed for several months. These students were able to use their devices 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The researchers collected their data through classroom observations, student and teacher interviews, and student work samples. The findings of their research showed, that the use of mobile computing devices can increase student motivation and engagement in learning, especially their motivation to complete written assignments (Swan, 2005, p. 108).

Another emerging trend in education is the flipped-classroom model. This is where students watch a video lecture of a lesson at home and the classroom is reserved for active learning lessons that support what they have learned. The report by Consumer Electronics Association in 2012 that focused on technology trends stated, "flipping the classroom is benefiting the educational environment by providing a more individualized approach to learning"(Meyer). This method encourages learning to take place outside of the classroom. Teachers can use pre-made lessons found on sites such as Kahn Academy or Teachers Tube. Or they can create their own lessons. But, there are issues with this method. One such issue is the ability for teachers to know if the students actually accomplished viewing the video lecture and that the necessary learning took place (Williams, 2012). Troy Williams, president of Macmillan New Ventures offers a quick solution to make sure students completed their at-home required activity. He suggests giving a quick poll or quiz at the beginning of class to check for understanding (2012). He also describes how certain internet sites can make this quick checking for understanding even easier. New sites like Class Dojo, Clever, and the earlier mentioned Poll Everywhere, make it easy to share quiz results and record real-time data. Yet, despite all the talk about the flipped classroom, just 12.8 percent of educators say their schools current information technology infrastructure is equipped to fully adopt a flipped classroom model. Technology in the classroom is one of the most prominent technology trends expected to influence the consumer electronics industry in the years ahead, according to the report by the Consumer Electronics Association (Meyer, 2012). The unfortunate reality is that schools today have limited access to technology yet research confirms that technology motivates student learning and achievement.

Lisa Nielson, the author of The Innovative Educator blog poses the question, When the world inside schools looks so different from the world outside of schools, what are we really preparing students for?" she asks. "When we ban, rather than embrace, realworld technologies, we leave students (1) ill-equipped to know how to harness the power of technology for learning, (2) unprepared to develop a respectable digital footprint and, (3), without adequate knowledge to safely navigate the social web. The key to a students success is embracing all forms of teaching methods, including the use of technology. Teachers have powerful learning tools such as cell phones readily at their disposal. They also have the ability to create flipped classrooms using online videos that have been created by others. The question today shouldnt be if the use of these technologies should be adapted into the classroom. The question should be when do we start asking students to use these technologies by pulling out their cell phones, watching online video lectures, and participating in interactive media class lessons?

Works Cited Meyer, L.. (2012, Oct. 16 ). In Ed Tech Makes Consumer Electronics Association\'s Top 5 Trends. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2013, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/10/16/EdTech-Makes-Consumer-Electronics-Associations-Top-5-Trends.aspx?Page=1 Murray, C.. (2012, Oct. 9 ). In Hot Trends in Educational Technology. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2013, from http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2012/11/6-hot-trends-educationaltechnology-infographic S, Karen, and Mark. v, and Annette. K. (2005). Uses and Eects of Mobile Computing Devices in K8 Classrooms. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38 (1), PP 99-112. Schachter, R.. (2009, Nov. Day ). In Mobile Devices in the Classroom. Retrieved Nov. 25, 2013, from http://www.districtadministration.com/article/mobile-devices-classroom Williams, T.. (2012, Oct. 30 ). In To empower students, lets bring interactive learning tools into the classroom. Retrieved Nov. 30, 2013, from http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/30/interactive-learning/#YYszqqe1qYaO82C0.99 Wylie, J.. (2013, Month. Day ). In Mobile Learning Technologies for 21st Century Classrooms. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2013, from http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3754742