Bloom, Schrock, and Prensky-Technology In Education

After reading Andrew Churches' Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, Kathy Schrock's Guide ToEverything, Beloit College's Mindset List, and watching Prensky's video on his views of technology and education, I began to think about my own opinions concerning technology and education based upon my own learning and teaching experiences.

Are They Right?

Based upon the information that I read, Churches, Schrock, and Prensky all support the new role that technology has taken in education, the role of technology being a tool to assist in student learning. The original Bloom's Taxonomy learning pyramid has even been adapted to match technology's new role in education. This new pyramid is important because it shows us how technology isn't only important to only one section of the cognitive process but all sections.

From my own experiences, I know firsthand that technology is an important part of education now. Being born in 1990, I see the best of both worlds. Therefore, I could argue both cases, but it wouldn't matter because the world is changing regardless if people that don't see the advantages of technology in education like it or not, and I think that is the point that Prensky was trying to make in his video. This new pyramid and technology are the future, but I regret that issues that arise from technology and student learning aren't addressed.

Students vs Teachers

Students know that technology is all around them right now, and will be even more dominating in the future, but from a teacher's point of view, we feel that it's important to be well rounded. Yes, we know that technology can be a vital tool for learning, but it shouldn't be the only way in which a student learns. Everyone has their preferred methods of learning. Some are auditory, kinesthetic , visual, but what happens when those options aren't available to you? If PK-12 grade schools are still struggling to integrate technology into learning, then there are definitely colleges that will still have professors who only lecture, and give open end question tests using paper and pen. The world is changing, but it's going to take a while for everyone to get on board, so teachers are confronted with the dilemma of preparing students for the way things are now and the future. I love using technology in my classroom, but will my students suffer when they have to take a test that doesn't involve a bright screen and colorful videos to keep their attention?

Reframing Technology In The Classroom

When I was a student, we weren't allowed to bring our cell phones in the building. Now, I check out a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Decal to notify administrators that my students will have their devices out for learning purposes. Schrock's charts of apps to support Bloom's Revised Taxonomy does an amazing job of displaying how technology has to be reframed in the classroom. She gives separate charts for iPads, Android, Windows, Google, and Web 2.0. The charts display apps in every section of the pyramid that could be used to support learning and could be an asset during lesson planning. Her revised Bloom's Digital Taxonomy ideas show how the use of technology is more focused around the student and Churches' article provides rubrics of how that learning can be measured or assessed.

What Does This Have To Do With The Library?

When we talk about information, the library is the center of that. Is technology a tool for learning or the foundation upon which we build learning? It depends upon the way you use it! It's very clear from Beloit College's Mindset List that our students get their information from Google, but do they know how to differentiate between what's reliable information? The library should be a place where students are taught to research properly whether it's using books, computers, iPads, or cell phones. It isn't just a place to read books anymore, but a place to explore, collaborate, gain understanding, analyze information, and create, hence the increasingly popular idea of maker spaces. As a future librarian, if I had to explain why I needed a certain app for the library, I would refer to the Bloom's Digital Taxonomy and explain how the app supported one or more of the categories that would aid in students learning.

Issues With Technology and Learning

As a teacher, one of the main issues I have with technology is the lack thereof. Everyone wants us to use it, but not all students have a cell phone or electronic device, and not all schools issue each student a personal laptop. There also needs to be an adequate network for the devices to operate on. Nothing is more overwhelming than having a class of thirty students whose hands keep popping up to notify you that the internet isn't working. In addition, a lot of my students know how to use technology to play games, interact on social media, etc., but those when we look at Schrock's chart of available apps it goes far beyond that. Many students do not know how to appropriately use the computer when it comes to learning, specifically creating. I witnessed problems such as not knowing how to copy and paste, type, capitalize, and highlight. It is unfair to measure students' learning when they use technology if all students haven't been properly trained to use the device correctly.

How To Fix It

To get everyone on one accord:

·         Students must be trained to use technology, programs, and systems efficiently.

·         Students must acknowledge that everything cannot be done using technology and technology free thinking skills are still necessary to learn.

·         Teachers must embrace and accept technology's role in education.

·         Districts must provide and teachers must attend professional development to learn how to successfully integrate technology in the learning process.

·         More technology should be available for students to use in a learning capacity.

·         The library should serve as prime model of how technology is used in education.

Bibliography

Churches, A. (2009). Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.

Prensky, M. (2005, December/January). Listen to the Natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8-        13.

Schrock, K. (n.d.). Bloomin' Apps. Retrieved June 09, 2016, from                                 http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html

The Mindset List: 2019 List. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from https://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2019/