Studying Tech: Bit by Bit

I have met a fair share of teachers who are extremely wary of technology. You know the type. The one who shudders at the word “powerpoint”, who thinks that QR Code sounds like the name of one of those new-age sci-fi movies, who thinks that Tik-Tok is just the sound that a clock makes. The ones who start their sentences with “Back in my day…” or “When I was younger” and will probably end with them saying something like “we had AOL chat rooms, and they were very cool. Much cooler than your chatsnaps or whatever they’re called.” For this type of teacher, the use of a marker and a whiteboard is sufficient. And it works. Because it always has. And it always will, right? ...Right? Now, this teacher can cause some serious problems in our classroom. Even if we have an entire school that values advancement and technology integration, it is entirely possible that the class won’t advance. Why? Vicky Davis broke this problem’s effect down into a series of not very mathematical equations...

The world is developing at an unprecedented rate. Technology has become one of the basic necessities in everyday life. Some even compare the lack of basic technological knowledge to being illiterate. I am taking a course this year that is extremely crucial for all teachers and mentors - to learn, to connect, to adapt to a changing world. My main apprehension about the topic of discussion is the fear that most of the topics learned in this course will not necessarily be relevant in the coming years. Facebook is already dying out in the younger generation. Most students prefer Instagram over any other form of social media. New media platforms open up on a yearly basis. People blog less and vlog more. Worldwide, students' attention spans decrease due to a large amount of stimuli coming from their technological devices. Understanding the importance of using technology in the classroom also comes with understanding its disadvantages. Many studies have shown that technology h...