Technology in the Classroom, and Beyond

     Looking back at my own education, it is sometimes difficult for me to remember that technology was not always a part of it. I still remember the first time a computer appeared in my classroom. I was in fifth grade, and this strange and giant device took up an entire corner of our classroom. Whenever our teacher was setting up our activities for the day, we all held our breath, hoping that she would hand us the coveted "Oregon Trail" floppy disc, allowing us to type the .exe command into DOS. Now, I take for granted the level of tech skills my students possess as they effortlessly switch between Google apps, juggling a dozen websites during research on their individual iPads. I am only in my sixth year of teaching, and new technology has already drastically altered the way I teach at least a half-dozen times. Who knows what the tech-ed component will look like when it is time for my retirement?
      Two different articles sparked this trip down memory lane. In his article, "How Does the Introduction of Technology Affect Children's Education?", Benjamin Jesse cautions that the use of technology in the classroom should not be considered a way to revolutionize education, in itself. Technology, Jesse asserts, "should be used to ‘compliment existing teaching methods’ and can ‘enhance but not replace’ them" (2018, para. 6). Using technology in the classroom should enhance the current curriculum in ways that would be impossible to do without it. More importantly, "it is essential to learning that children are taught the ways in which technology aids us with modern life, while also being capable of understanding how and why it works" (Jesse, 2018, para. 7). Thinking back to the technology in my own classrooms growing up, I was fortunate enough to own a laptop at home. I was able to explore DOS, and even experimented with some programming of my own. This would have been an excellent use for the technology in my middle school and high school classrooms, as my classmates and I would have seen these devices as more than just tickets to the Oregon Trail. We would have understood how they functioned, how to command them, and how to create. Who knows how many computer programmers could have come from central Maine, if only our educators had taken the technology use in our classroom a few steps farther?
     This thinking tied directly to Nacho de Marco's article, "The Growing Role of Latin America in the Technology Industry."  de Marco points out that Colombia, Argentina and Mexico, while once considered too dangerous or underdeveloped for corporate investment, are now seeing a boom in the computer service field. "Through government initiatives, private investments and the drive of local citizens, these countries got involved in the technology race and now produce IT talent that matches the level of those in first-world countries" (de Marco, 2018, para. 3). These governments recognized an opportunity in computer programming and service, and their citizens are benefiting because of it. If we use technology in our ELL classrooms as more than simply translation tools or for paperless essays, we will be teaching them more than English language skills. If we teach our students skills like programming and innovation, we will be giving them lifelong skills that will provide them with tools to compete and be successful in a rapidly growing and evolving technological world.

Ed-Tech needs to be more than "For Profit"

   This week's offering of Google Alert articles made me see educational technology in a new light: it is very important that we, as educators, do not forget that private companies make a lot of money through the educational system, and the technological field is no exception. While technology can be an excellent tool that will enrich a classroom environment when used appropriately, we must always acknowledge that the companies advertising these new developments and proclaiming their benefits may have a profit in mind. While many companies do want the best for students, they are also concerned with the bottom line. This adds a new layer to the evaluation of new technology for the classroom setting, and it something that educators and administrators should keep in mind.

    Jacob Wolinsky, the creator of the hedge-fund and investing website, ValueWalk.com, has a lot of faith in the future profits from the educational technology field. In his article, The Future of Education Technology, Wolinsky (2018) states, "In June 2018, education technology investors enjoyed a record-breaking $9.5 billion in returns. This was a 30-percent spike compared to the previous year, a testament to growth in the field" (para. 3). It is clear that there is a lot of money to be made in the field of educational technology. Based on the fact that thirty million primary and secondary school students use Google Education apps, Wolinsky posits that there will be $93.76 billion dollars in the global ed-tech market by 2020. This illustrates how much money can be made in this field, and in my mind, it shows that educators who make decisions about technology should be even more diligent in their evaluations of which tech to implement.

     I believe that one consideration educators should make when evaluating technology for use in a classroom is the intention of the creator. Leah Skerry and Julia Dexter created an educational application called Squiggle Park, which is described in the article Canadian ed-tech startup Squiggle Park improves literacy through play. Skerry and Dexter initially had the idea to develop the game in order to promote literacy in Canadian pre-kindergarten to grade 2 students. The developers had no idea that their game would become globally popular; "Students as far as Oman, China, India, Vietnam, Brazil and soon Barbados use it to improve their English reading" (2018, para. 5). The game took on new life when it was shown to assist students of all ages and nationalities with their English acquisition. This is clearly an example of technology that was designed to assist students, and that would be beneficial in an ELL classroom. While the creators of Squiggle Park are showing an excellent financial return on their creation, their primary goal in its creation was to educate. It is vital that educators evaluate technological developments with our students in mind, while also remembering that this may not have been the focus of some of the creators. There are many educators out there creating new technologies and using them in innovative ways with the main goal of helping students, and those selecting what types of technology to implement in the classroom setting should mirror this goal.