The Many Issues of Educational Technology

In today's day and age, we often walk into a classroom and spot several uses of technology. Computers, laptops, smartboards, TV's, tablets, phones, etc. But what we don't see, unless we stay for an extended period of time (i.e. longer than one class), is how often these are used, and what are the requirements to use them. I've been in classes where just like Robert Slavin says, teachers use them as a reward for good work, so the only students that get to go on there are students who know the content. I've also seen them where students who do poorly are required to do work on there. And I've even seen classes that just ignore them. What is the reason for all of this being important?

Well, we often use computer information to form evaluations and testing. The issue arises when the above information isn't taken into account when we select schools and classes to evaluate - we may pick a class because, on the programs, there is low content knowledge. However, when we evaluate the whole class, we see that it was used as a remedial course for a small percentage of students. This often skews the data, and quite frankly makes it impossible to use. The easiest way to fix this? Randomly assigning schools, just like Slavin says. "Randomly assign half to receive the computer-based program, and half to a business-as-usual control group". This is the perfect way to have an unbiased study - and anybody who took at least one Psych class would know that random assignments are always the best types of studies when you want the least biased results.

https://robertslavinsblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/how-computers-can-help-do-bad-research/

Slavin, R. (2018, December 13). How Computers Can Help Do Bad Research. Retrieved from https://robertslavinsblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/how-computers-can-help-do-bad-research/.

To be a Champion

Every child has a champion, a hero, that they look up to. For some, it's Batman, Superman, Queen Elsa, Barbie, etc. For others, it's a police officer, the president, maybe even a parent. But everybody, every person in the world, has at least one teacher that they think about in a way they don't any other. The teacher that made you a better person, that left that positive lasting impression. For me, I have two teachers that made me who I am. Mr. D'Lucia, my seventh grade Social Studies teacher. He was eccentric, fun, and looked out for everybody. I remember when I wanted to pair up with someone I thought was a friend, but they laughed and went to somebody else. He came over and told me jokes and stories about how his older sister and he had the same friends, but they would do the same thing to him and that it'd be okay. He let me work by myself - my preferred method of work anyway. The second teacher was Mr. Libby. He was the art teacher in middle school, and I still keep in contact with him. He knew that I was being bullied by my "friends" and defended me as much as he could. He let me hang out in his room and make art, he would kick them out when other teachers turned away. He showed me that there was a way to make a difference - to call people out on things instead of ignoring them.

To me, without these teachers, I wouldn't have made it through middle school. They reached out and made that connection that no other teacher had before. And so, it is my goal as a teacher to do exactly as Ms. Rita Pierson says - understand the value of human connection and utilize it. If a child has a good relationship with me, they will want to learn. If I can be that hero, that champion, and guide kids to understanding and learning by being a support system, then I have done my job. It is never to late to learn and understand things, especially human connection. Seek first to understand, instead of to be understood.

https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion/up-next#t-137951

Every Kid Needs a Champion. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion/up-next#t-137951