To me, a good use of digital technology in the math and science classroom is technology that engages students on a “deeper” level than traditional, let’s say “chalk-and-talk” lessons; lessons where the teacher is the distributor of “knowledge” and students “receive knowledge” . It’s when the use of the digital technology allows concepts to be explained in a more natural, fluid, concrete, intuitive and/or personally-meaningful way. I’ve learned to understand that tech is just a tool, but my opinion is that “good” tech use is when the tech is implemented is such a manner that the learning experience is augmented. It strives to do something different that was quite simply impossible in another medium, or through another platform.
Viewed from another perspective, what makes the use of digital technology “good” is not the tool/tech itself but the manner in which it’s used. For example, if students are tasked to write a paper, using Google Docs as the platform is not necessarily a “good” use of tech. Word would have been equally sufficient (this would be the S in the SAMR model). However, if the goal is to collaborate synchronously and/or asynchronously on a project, sharing ideas to construct something despite being physically separate, I’d certainly consider Google docs a “good” use of tech!
Other “good” uses of digital tech could be to use responsive/interactive simulations, AR, visualizations, or to teach our students to code. We should be mindful to give our students not only tools, but the knowledge and skills required to apply the tools to create something. Too many people think that simply incorporating tech and saying “go! Explore!” will result in better engagement. It’s been suggested by research, such as in Clements & Sarama’s The Role of Technology in Early Childhood Learning (2002, p.341), that “curriculum designed around [tech] should have children do more than merely engage in free exploration, which can lead to boredom”.
Finally, “good” uses of digital tech are absolutely not just a “vision”; they’re 100% real and 100% happening right now as we speak. One simple yet enormous challenge is that using tech in this way is still very new to the average teacher. Better training programs, among other solutions, are required. This could allow the average teacher hands-on experience with tech to become
- more aware of the opportunities digital tech can afford and
- confident enough to apply them, starting with small tasks that and grow in complexity along with their skill set.
After all, teachers, like children, “learn by doing and by thinking about what they do” (Clements & Sarama, 2002, p. 342).
Reference
Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2002). The role of technology in early childhood learning. Teaching Children Mathematics, 8(6), 340-343.
Question answered was from the STEM 2018 Blog:
- What is a good use of digital technology in the math and science classroom? What would such a learning experience and environment look like? What would be some characteristics of what it is and what it isn’t? How might a learning experience with technology address a conceptual challenge, such as the one you researched in the last lesson?
- What makes this a good use of digital technology? Is this a vision or is it possible in real classrooms? What makes this vision a challenge to implement and what might be needed to actualize it?
Hi Scott,
I am a bit late in reacting to your post. I really like how you value the use of technology to teach explicit skills. I have learned through the traditional method of teaching, that is chalk and talk. Back in high school and even in college, I have personally had few expositions to modern technology such as computer to help me understand contents. We used graphic calculators but its usage was very limited to algebraic manipulations. This forced us to develop a mental awareness in mathematics that helped me later on to easily understand and interpret mathematics while using technology. Because of my experience, I think that all learning skills cannot be taught through technology, and I understand that I can be biased. Nevertheless, I believe that fundamental knowledge should be taught first. To enable the students to understand what they are doing when they use technology, instead of being passive and not questioning technology.
Hi Vivian, thanks for your thoughtful response!
I really like your stance on how teachers should enable students to understand what they are doing when they use tech, not just accepting it blindly and letting it do all the work for them. I think too often teachers think of tech as the goal, or as a solution. It is very rarely the case, as tech is just a tool. We can use it to support us in reaching a particular goal, or leverage it to help us work out a solution, but it in itself is useless unless it’s used properly and with purpose.
You touched on something else I really like, which was you “think that all learning skills cannot be taught through technology”, which I think is wise. While I think that at this point there is so much that CAN be taught using technology, that doesn’t mean it SHOULD be. There is still a place for pen and paper in English class, just like there is a place for manual workings when manipulating algebraic equations. It’s all about apply the tech in contexts that support the learning objective. It should be less about “let’s replace everything with a tech equivalent” and more about “how can we use tech to do something that was previously impossible with our standard tools”.
And one more thing, I was also taught almost exclusively through chalk and talk throughout my entire educational career. I think I turned out OK, all and all! I do wonder, though, how my views and critical thinking skills may have been improved if I were exposed to other methods of learning.
Thanks for your comments!!
Scott