The Information Technology
Revolution in the 21st
Century
Collin College
EDUC 1301
Chapter 7
 Technology
redefines communication,
knowledge, and work
• Teacher is no longer the sole expert
• Teachers need to prepare students for jobs that don’t
currently exist—which will use technology that
hasn’t been invented—for as yet unknown purposes!
 Schools
often lag behind in technology, but
this is an integral part of students’ lives and
must be part of their classroom life!
 Digital
native: Has grown up using
“digital language” of computers, video
games, Internet
 Many
teachers are “digital immigrants”
• Like ELLs, they’re smart and capable but lack
knowledge and skills
 Information
used to be hard to get
• Now, we can probably find more information in a
day than an 18th-century scholar could in a
lifetime!
 Work
with students to use the Internet to:
• Choose websites in advance
• Avoid information overload
• Think critically to assess validity of sources
• Stay on track to solve problems
 Watch
the TeachSource Video Case,
“Teaching Technology Skills”
• Advice for Teachers
• Differentiated Instruction
• Challenges
 Facilitates tackling of real-world problems
• WebQuest
 Expands use of simulations, modeling
• Simulated dissection of frog
• http://frog.edschool.virginia.edu/
 Creates local, global learning communities
• Class website involves parents, community
• Students from different countries collaborate via e-
mail, shared websites, Internet phone services,
online chat, videoconferencing, blogs and twitter.
 Makes
writing and reading more fun
 Allow visitors to add or edit content
• Wikis: Usually websites (focus on resource)
 Wikipedia
• Blogs: Diaries (focus on blogger)
 Expands
learning community
geographically, demographically
• Students could receive comments from other
students, teachers, field experts… anyone!

Teachers should be able to:
• Design appropriate learning experiences using
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technology
Effectively use technology in assessment
Improve productivity
Engage in professional dev., personal learning
Model and teach legal and ethical use of tech
Affirm diversity, promote equitable access to tech
Promote safe and healthy use of tech resources
National Educational Technology Standards
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx

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
Gap between those who have ready technological
access and expertise, and those who do not.
Students with Internet at home have educational
advantages.
Major disparities:
• Geographic:
 Suburban kids: Much more computer time than urban & rural
• Socioeconomic:
 Poor students 2x as likely to only have Net access at school
 Poor rural kids may not have Net access in public libraries
 The
$150 laptop project
• Provide “single most useful learning tool” for poor
children who live in remote areas – wireless laptops
• Access to Internet & learning communities
• Positive force for social development
 Will
it work if school lacks expertise and
students have little prior exposure to tech?
 More info: One Laptop Per Child Project
 http://laptop.org/en/
 Devices
that promote independence for
people with disabilities by facilitating
tasks they can’t otherwise do easily
• Speech recognition software
• Braille printers
• Interactive whiteboards (to provide notes to
those who can’t write)
 Technology
can reduce or eliminate
barriers to learning experienced by
disabled students
 Presence
of computers in schools doesn’t
mean they’re used well
 Poorest
schools actually have best ratio of
computers/students, but that doesn’t
make up for reduced home access
 Teachers
online!
and students can work together
 eMints: Prof
dev focused on technology
• http://emints.org/
 Useful
websites by subject area
 Introduction to educational blogging
 Childnet International
• http://www.childnet-
int.org/safety/teachers.aspx
 NetSafeKids
http://www.nap.edu/netsafekids/
 Although
we look forward to new ways of
teaching our students, many challenges
face us as we imagine how the traditional
classroom will be transformed to reflect
the high-tech world around us.
Teacher’s Domain
http://www.teachersdomain.org/
 Teachers
will face many challenges as
traditional classrooms are made hightech
 Teacher’s role changes from information
provider to guide and interpreter
 Technology can promote discovery
learning through real-world projects,
collaborative investigations, simulations
 Teachers can help reduce the digital
divide