541 Vision Statement

Change can be something that we “deal with” or something that we embrace. The world is changing around us, and in order to remain relevant and productive, we have to be flexible. The beauty of change can be found in the opportunity to evaluate how and why we do things a certain way. This allows us to determine if our methods are effective. With change comes new and exciting tools and resources. These manifest themselves as technologies including the internet, computers, and mobile devices. Principles and theory in education are changing just like everything else. There is an ongoing paradigm shift that moves away from instruction and moves toward facilitation and individual exploration. Technology makes this change possible by providing solutions to many of the problems faced.

In their article, Leer and Ivanov (2013) discuss a change in the way information is presented to students and how technology relates to this student-centered shift. The authors present the idea that technology makes it possible to move away from a system of standards in which students are all evaluated in the same way and forced to learn at the same pace. Leer and Ivanov (2013) state that, “While a truly customized twenty first century educational experience may be some ways off in the United States, technology is providing a path toward that vision” (p. 16). Technology allows for conveniences like self pacing and instant feedback for students. These are some of the things that help pave this path.

An and Riegeluth (2012) discuss the importance of technology in developing these learner-centered classroom environments. According to them, “The learner-centered model focuses on real-life skills such as collaboration, higher-order thinking, and problem-solving skills, and better meets the complex needs of the information age” (An & Reigeluth, 2012, p. 54). Our goal should be to prepare students for success in this information age. These students use technology in every other aspect of their lives. As educators we must show them that there is value in the same technologies for learning as well. If done correctly, this will keep them involved and engaged.

Implementing new technology will inherently present many challenges. Hew and Brush (2007) identify some of the challenges which include scarcity of resources as well as teacher attitudes and beliefs. According to the authors, we can address these issues through creative solutions including gradual implementation of resources and strong support and professional development for teachers in order to increase buy-in (Hew & Bush, 2007). The results will be worth all the effort in the end. If we are committed, we can create transformative, student-centered, learning environments that prepare students for success in the real world. We can do this with the help of technology that provides limitless possibilities of creativity and customization.

References

An, Y., & Reigeluth, C. (2012). Creating Technology-Enhanced, Learner-Centered Classrooms: K-12 Teachers' Beliefs, Perceptions, Barriers, and Support Needs. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher Education, 28(2), 54-62.

Hew, K. F., & Brush, T. (2007). Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: Current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(3), 223-252.

Leer, R., & Ivanov, S. (2013). RETHINKING THE FUTURE OF LEARNING: THE POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY. International Journal Of Organizational Innovation, 5(4), 14-20.