Week 1

7/6/2021

Educational technology, to me, is something that was originally intended to supplement the way teachers teach and increase productivity while easing stress on both students and teachers alike. What I'm seeing now, is that educational technology isn't just an add on to our daily lives, but is changing how we teach, how we learn and how we perceive education as a whole. When Postman speaks of how technology has winners and losers, I can see this play out in our own classrooms. After teaching through a pandemic, in person, online, and in a hybrid model, the gap between the haves and have nots has been magnified. The online portion of school was easy for some because they didn't have to stagger times to share devices with siblings, nor did they have to worry about wifi speed etc., but the ones who struggled, really struggled. From ones who were not intrinsically motivated to work to others who didn't have access to devices, wifi or lacked the technological wherewithal, the gap was (is) large.
I do see the value of edtech in our world, in fact, I don't know how we would have dealt with this pandemic if we didn't have access to some of these things, but I also believe that it amplifies the privilege of some while slowing the progress of others.
If I think back to my early years of teaching, I wouldn't have though about the development of edtech, but I didn't have to. If you weren't teaching keyboarding or computer science, you didn't really need to be in a computer lab. Now, access to computer labs, laptops and laptops carts are at a premium because more teachers and students see the value in working with technology, if only our school board felt the same and kept the supply up with the demand.

8 Comments

Reid Quest

7/6/2021 08:05:30 pm

Very well said, Darcy. I began teaching when the use of laptops and other forms of technology were being utilized within the classroom on a daily basis, so I can't relate to your experience when you began teaching. It is evident in todays teaching environment for all educators to continuously learn and stay up to date with present forms of technology to utilize them to the best of their abilities. Thanks for sharing!

Jacquie Murray

7/10/2021 07:30:53 pm

Darcy, wow did your post strike a chord with me. I totally agree that this past year really shone a light on the educational gaps and how access to technology, assumptions of at home learning furthered the digital divide. Technology certainly made learning possible, but it also showed the gaps within communities. My hope is that this past year instills in diverse sectors the needs to close the gap to not only technology, but diverse programming that centers non dominant voices and experiences in its planning, implementation and reflection on how the programs serve all students. To add another layer, we also need to consider who benefits financially from the tech apps and programming being offered to schools. As Postman states: "Who specifically benefits from the development of a new technology? Which groups, what type of person, what kind of industry will be favored? And, of course, which groups of people will thereby be harmed? (Postman, 1998, pg. 2)". I found your post hit on the complexity of the issue, and like you, I am not saying throw away the whole thing and not utilize tech in the classrooms, but I am saying as educators we have an opportunity to advocate for equity in programming and access to benefit all students.

Janelle

7/10/2021 09:14:28 pm

Thanks for your post Darcy. You state, "What I'm seeing now, is that educational technology isn't just an add on to our daily lives, but is changing how we teach, how we learn and how we perceive education as a whole." Jacquie mentions the gaps that the pandemic may have brought to light for many of our school communities and I couldn't agree more. Technology should not be an add on, but for many students this is the case due to inconsistent use between home and school. Many students do not have access to technology in the home, making remote learning very difficult. Not only where students not receiving the same lessons that those with access to technology received, they also struggles to maintain genuine connections with their classmates and teachers. As Jacquie mentioned, the gap needs to be closed. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, looking forward to more discussions as the class progresses.

Daniel Odendaal

7/11/2021 09:04:08 am

Wonderful post and thank you for sharing!

Aside from echoing the praise from previous commenters that you have already received, your comment about a school board sharing the same philosophy of their teachers and students really hit home for me and made me reflect on the discussions of tech necessity that we had in my building. Too frequently it feels like if there is money (very rarely) then it is thrown at the problem without authentic conversation about the implications and repercussions that will occur with a technological insert. I have heard from numerous educators that they want technology because they perceive that it will make things easier in their classroom, but they have no plan for authentic integration. Often it becomes that students will use google docs and slides, and that's where it ends. This is not the fault of the educator, it is just because everything is a surface level tool unless you dissect how to authentically utilize it.
I theorize that this is because in previous years edtech demanded self motivation and inquiry from teachers - "Figure out how to work it yourself". Times have changed, and as you say the pandemic has highlighted the dynamics of power and privilege that technology play in students accessing learning. Hopefully we continue to see a trend of meaningful and transformative work around the dynamics of technology.

Arkin Kauf

7/11/2021 10:15:00 pm

Hey Darcy, thank you for your post. I can relate to your comment on the magnification of have and have not. Without students or families speaking out, it was clear who was limited in access to technology. It placed myself as well as our school in a position to 'level the playing field' and adapt by creating paper packages that were either picked up or delivered. After reflecting on Katia's lecture and this week's readings, it was also clear that I had not taken the appropriate time to reflect on privilege as it relates to technology and its usage. I also agree that technology is at a premium, but must be recognized as a tool and not a toy. Great post!

Kelly link

7/13/2021 09:44:29 am

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have to agree that the gaps in learning during the pandemic are more prevalent and noticeable than they have ever been before. I am also curious what pandemic recovery will look like in not only the different school divisions, but across the elementary, secondary and post-secondary boards. Also, who is designing these programs and what supports are going to be provided to educators to try to get students who have fallen between the cracks, back on the boardwalks? Also, what kind of pressures will society and school divisions alike put on teachers to get students where they think they should be, without providing the necessary supports to educators? Very interesting post, lots to think about! Thanks!

Deidra

7/13/2021 12:38:29 pm

I absolutely agree with you that I don't know how my program would have survived without technology during the pandemic. The use of technology was a life-saver to be able to continue teaching a hands-on program such as mine. I believe there will be many new ways of doing things that will continue post-pandemic. Personally, I found some interactive classroom engagement items that I will continue when we are back in-person.

Mike Wolf

7/14/2021 07:22:19 am

Those gaps are definitely highlighted between the haves and have-nots. In reading many of these definitions of ed tech on the blogs, many talk about ed tech making things easier or less stressful. Is this the case, though? I see students almost daily agonizing over their grades that they have constant and live access to. I see the struggles that "strong" students had in navigating multiple online platforms during remote and hybrid learning. I realize that the pandemic was a unique situation, but when I look back at my relatively tech-free existence, seeing my course mark on a piece of paper posted on the all a few times a semester, I think about how the constant connectedness impacts the mental health of staff, students, and parents.

Summer 2021 - EC&I 833

Week 1

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