Technology Research for Education

When I first read through the assignment of Educational Technology Research, my initial thought was I’m going to have so much additional reading to do!  Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up was an organization that I had never heard of before so I decided to check it out.  From Print to Pixel: The Role of Video, Games, Animations and Stimulation with K-12 Education was on of the report I choose to closely review.

Project Tomorrow's Speak Up

I chose these particular report because since taking this course I have found myself not only more interested in technology in my classroom, but also struggling to find a good balance.  I found the flyers to be visually appealing and helpful in giving the important nuggets of the report’s findings. I also appreciated that each PDF flyer was broken up into different audiences. As an educator it was helpful to see the different perspectives around technology use. Although I was not shocked by the report, I found it reaffirming that I am going in the right direction with my use of technology in the classroom. Both students and parents support the use of technology in the classroom. I also found it good to hear that in the report many administrators did not think that their teachers had enough training around the use of technology as a teaching tool. I completely agree and am fortunate that my district is aware of this barrier and are working with Dominican University to create an opportunity for training. I think the variety of voices that are being represented through these reports are fantastic!

An interesting article I came across while on Twitter that connected was Gaming for Global Education Gaming for Global Education

Common Sense Media research was another terrific organization as I found the reports to be organized beautifully. I was not expecting to need to sign up for access to the detailed reports, however, it was a quick process. Not only were the topics interesting and informative but also readily available for specific audiences or interests. I think when giving information around technology it is helpful to share it in small doses. I loved that there was an option for the key points and full report as time can be something that is minimal. When reading the report around finding balance with the use of technology and the concern of addiction around use of technology I was shocked that the parents and teens were so close in their survey answers. Perhaps teens and parents are more on the same page than we thought! 

Dealing with Devices: The Parent-Teen Dynamics

I think having access to research around technology in education is very helpful, but it needs to be in a way that is easily reviewed. Often as a teacher I feel that I barely have enough time for the continuos needs of students, administrators and parents. So thinking about adding another area of consumption can be overwhelming. However, after reviewing the reports in Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up and Common Sense Media I think not only are the reports meaningful but a quick read. I would like to think that school districts take these type of educational reports into consideration when planning PD, implementing new vision statements and other important work that affects students and teachers. With my new found knowledge I plan to share theses two research organizations with my technology specialist as she is often our school’s best medium for important technology news and ideas. Although I imagine they are not new organizations it will be nice to connect with another professional with some shared background knowledge and possible more knowledge to share!