EDT619 Blog

Technology is doing more with less. As resources become more widely available, students are now capable of learning more, faster. Educational technology is a tool that teachers can use to help our students become problem solvers and apply their knowledge to real world problems. “What you know” is no longer the most important thing, as we can easily find answers on the internet. But developing technologies that help us solve the problems of human kind by applying our content knowledge will always be a critical skill. Technology allows our students to have more individualized learning, providing opportunities to discover interests and passions, and move at a pace that is right for them. As technology is used more frequently in education, many believe the role of the teacher is on the path to becoming obsolete. However, that is not true, but the role of the educator is shifting from knowledge giver to that of a facilitator. Teachers must show the proper use of technology, and be the confi...

Participatory Culture is an environment that allows for the easy sharing of artistic expression and civic engagement. Members of the community are encouraged to participate and share their work and ideas. A sense of belonging is shared among members. This style of learning can greatly benefit our students, as this what many of them encounter outside of the classroom. Types of these participatory cultures include Affiliations: members of a community centered on media (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) Expressions: producing of new creative materials (fanfiction, mash-ups, etc.) Collaborative Problem Solving: working together in teams to complete tasks (Wikipedia, alternative reality gaming etc.) Circulations: Shaping the flow of media (podcasts, blogs) Embracing participatory culture in the elementary classroom leads to the fostering of a higher level dynamic literacy within our students. Though these processes students develop skills such as multitasking, collective intelligence, neg...