Question:
How can teachers responsibly engage with new technologies to enhance their classrooms as supportive learning environments?

Reflection:
Some of our instructors in the BEd program have emphasized the importance in acknowledging the relationship between learning and play. Therefore as teachers, we ought to be constantly re-thinking how we present new material to our students. Over the course of my short practicum, I was able to observe some of the ways in which my colleagues used technology to engage their students in classroom learning. Based on my observations, I noticed the following issues: teachers avoided risk taking in their use of technology; the school seemed ill equipped to provide both teachers and students with the resources to learn in unconventional settings; and teachers were reluctant to address the issue of student cellphone use in class, whether positively or negatively. My observations left me wondering whether or not technology has brought the classroom community closer together or farther apart.

My studies at the UBC BEd program, as well as my experiences on short practicum have led me to the following conclusions: first, that the fundamental objective of Social Studies education – to create inquiry-driven critical thinkers and socially engaged citizens – has not changed; second, human knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate – thanks to new technologies, we are consuming and producing more information than ever before. Yet we can observe that, while most of our students are consumers of these new technologies, not all have the opportunity to contribute to that pool of knowledge. This needs to change.

I want my students to critically reflect on how technology shapes learning and builds community. Education in its current form is married with new technologies and I believe that the purposes educators attribute to new technologies in their classrooms will be decisive in determining the direction of our profession in the future. Researching the relationship between technology and community in Social Studies education will benefit all humanities teachers in creating safe, playful, and supportive learning environments for students, creating inquiry-driven critical thinkers and socially engaged citizens.

Next Steps:
I could prepare a series of interview questions for teachers and students, asking them about their interests and purposes for using technology in the classroom/their daily lives. This data could help me to understand the necessary balance required in creating a safe, playful, and supportive learning environment using new technologies. I should also narrow my interest in “new technologies” towards something more specific, such as social media or virtual reality in Social Studies.

Until next time,
Alex M.