Welcome to the blog post that is also a proposal! Specifically, it is my inquiry proposal. It’s title (in case you missed it) is How can Meaningful Technology Support Classroom Learning? What I hope to achieve in this inquiry is provide a starting point for all teachers not technologically inclined to engage with the issue safely and responsibly. My essential question remains, how can teachers responsibly engage with new technologies to enhance their classrooms as supportive learning environments?

Allow me to be honest – I do not like technology. It changes too quickly and is revolutionizing the ways in which we experience our world. This is all very exciting if one has access to the funds to purchase the latest and greatest in tech. There is another issue: our new renaissance evolves alongside our materialist tendencies – you can’t play with new technologies unless you buy them. I come from a family that believes in buying what we know we need, as opposed to what we want or think we need. As a teacher, I know that I cannot hide nor can I stop the technological tsunami headed my way. I have to adapt and, as a result, seek enlightenment. As a teacher, I have worked in classrooms where students have access to the latest and best technologies, with no clear understanding of how to use them to learn. They are used as crutches rather than tools – what was bread and circuses to ancient Rome has become smartphones and apps for us.

But surely the power of new technologies have been harnessed and used to good effect in classroom settings by exceptional teachers? And what of the shortcomings of new technology? Dr. Mari K. Swingle warns us of our brains “speeding up, but not in a good way” (Swingle, 2015). Our addiction to technology has resulted in elevated states of arousal as we like, love, share, and swipe content, often multitasking while we do it. Swingle warns of this resulting in our inability to sustain focus on the normal: observation, contemplation, and connections. If good teachers care for their students, then they should also care about the things that matter to their students. This is why my inquiry is important. New technology is here to stay and it is up to teachers to tap into this wellspring of learning opportunities to create meaningful learning experiences from within our student’s minds. If we fail to do this, then our students will unplug from society and from each other. This is where community becomes important to my research. I want my students to understand technology as a powerful collaborative tool which they can harness to help them learn. There is the saying that two heads are better than one, so why not add five, ten, or thirty, I ask?

Until next time,
Alex M.