Technology: Learning Distraction or Learning Aid?

A lot of things have changed since I entered the education field over thirty years ago.  When a new educational thought or process was introduced, I often heard some of the older teachers make this comment: "If we ignore this, it will go away in a year or so, then there will be some other new thing that takes its place."  I had to admit that this was often the case.  We would have a change of administration, and the focus would be on something else, and away we would go on a new journey.

Enter technology and the computer age...no longer can educators say that this will end of going away. Technology will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Technology is here to stay.  There are those holdouts who refuse to use technology in their classrooms, but these teachers are not the norm, thankfully.

Students are growing up with access to many devices, and they are comfortable using this technology.  How can teachers use this knowledge to enhance learning while monitoring the time spent doing everything BUT their assignments and meaningful work?

First of all, and most importantly, teachers cannot sit at their desks and lecture from their chairs.  Teachers need to be actively moving about the room and seeing what their students are doing.  If teachers are aware of the activities going on in the room, then students are more likely to stay on task with their assignments.

Students need to feel that the work assigned is meaningful - at least somewhat.  I say "at least somewhat" because we all know that students do not always see the long term benefit of practicing their vocabulary or knowing their chemistry elements.  However, if the teacher makes it clear that the work done in his or her class is important and meaningful, then students will be more apt to take an interest in their work.  If the teacher doesn't care, the students won't care either.

Finally, I think it is very important to listen to what the students have to say.  There are moments of true genius when a student might give me an idea of how better to teach my class.  With that feedback, I can create more meaningful assignments so we can all can benefit.  When students have a buy in, they also take ownership and responsibility in the class.  They often police each other, issues are stopped before they escalate into more than something small.

Yes, technology can be a distraction.  I have to focus on writing my blog rather than checking out the latest tweets.  It takes discipline, and that is something that requires some maturity as well.  If we set the example early, we make it easier for our students as they navigate the world beyond high school.