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Technology for innovation in education
Name Withheld for Grading Period
Dr. Alison Binger
University of the People M.Ed.
March 17, 2021
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Technology for innovation in education
Today’s times are marked by fast change. Across the globe, there has been an outstanding
exhibit of human mobilization, international collaboration, and technological revolution that is
innovating every aspect of society. Yet, education remains, in most cases, unchanged from its
basic structure of the 1980s. In A New Essential Curriculum for a New Time (2010), Jacob
ponders whether students feel like time travelers as they walk through the school doors every
morning and are transported to a past time, only to then end the school day and return to the 21st
century. The time-traveling analogy reveals the outdated nature of school systems due to a lack
of innovation and authentic learning in school. Here, innovation in education through authentic
learning experiences, particularly through the use of technology, will be explored, showcasing
best practices and how teachers can become agents of positive change efforts in school.
Authentic learning is meant to provide a bridge between what students are taught in
school and real-world concepts, issues, and applications. Authentic learning can successfully
prepare a student for their post-school lives as their education becomes rooted in the real world
and seizes to be abstract (ACEL, 2016). Unfortunately, many education institutions, and
consequently their students, lack authentic learning given the misalignment of content and skill
taught in school versus those that are applied in the real world.
One concrete example of misalignment in school and society is the use of technology
within the school setting. Technology is revolutionizing every area of society, from industries to
social media, yet it has yet to take a center stage within education. Under the SAMR model
(Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) for technology to be aiding
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innovation in the class, it must be used under the modification and redefinition categories. This
implies that technology no longer just augments or substitutes learning but it redefines learning
(Burbules, Fan, and Repp, 2020). Unfortunately, most classrooms continue to be limited in the
use of tech, by only incorporating computers, electronic textbooks, or search engines as a way to
complement learning.
To catch up with the times, the educational system must transition from a passive
integration of technology to an active one, incorporating state-of-the-art technologies such as app
design, coding, and artificial intelligence into the classroom (Burbules, Fan, and Reep, 2020).
For this integration to be successful teachers must not only be adept to change but also highly
trained. Reforming the professional development model applied in the school to implement tech
training for all teachers is a key aspect of innovation of education. Additionally, collaboration
amongst teachers to navigate the teaching of new concepts and new skills related to technology
would suggest teachers are prepared and embracing a curriculum change. Adopting technology
as a cornerstone in each class would be tremendously beneficial for each student as it will
develop real-world competencies that are of high demand and that are integral for today’s
globally connected world.
In my class, like in many other classes, technology has taken a consistent but passive
role. The use of technological platforms such as Microsoft Office, google suites, and search
engines, help students learn but are not stimulating new tech learning. To become an agent of
change in my school I must embrace novel technologies and incorporate them into my
curriculum. A great way of doing this is by substituting usual platforms, such as google sites,
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that students use to showcase products with platforms that students have not been exposed to but
are key in today’s world, for example, apps. Using student-friendly software, such as MIT app
inventor, students can learn to develop apps while at the same time explore classroom content.
Integrating technology as a foundation in my classroom would affect how I work and how I
teach since it would require a lot of preparation on my part. Yet the benefit that it would provide
my students would be enormous since my classroom would become an accurate representation of
what they will be exposed to in their post-school lives.
During the COVID 19 pandemic the world has faced over the last year, technology has
proven to be an unstoppable force that can bring together people from opposite ends of the world
and that will play a crucial role in the years to come. Because of this, technology is key when it
comes to education innovation and should be used for the redefinition of what learning looks
like. Technology skills should be comparable to reading and writing skills as their applicability
in society is ever-growing. To become agents of change, teachers must fearlessly and
determinately incorporate novel technologies in their classrooms and thus better align students'
education to the realities.
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References:
ACEL. (2016). Authentic learning: what, why and how?
http://www.acel.org.au/acel/ACEL_docs/Publications/e-Teaching/2016/eTeaching_2016_10.pdf
Burbules, N.C, Fan, G., & Repp, P. (2020). Five trends of education and technology in a
sustainable future. Geography and Sustainability, 1(2), 93-97.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geosus.2020.05.001
Jacobs, H.H. (2010). A New Essential Curriculum for a New Time. Curriculum 21: Essential
Education For A Changing
World. http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109008/chapters/A-New-EssentialCurriculum-for-a-New-Time.aspx
Juvonen, J., Le, V., Kaganoff, T., Augustine, C., & Constant, L. (2004). Whole-School Reform
Models. In Focus on the Wonder Years: Challenges Facing the American Middle School
(pp. 98-111). Santa Monica, CA; Arlington, VA; Pittsburgh, PA: RAND
Corporation. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2004/RAND_M
G139.sum.pdf