Educational technology is an ever evolving tool which has been introduced as an innovative way to improve education for centuries. My understanding and experience with educational technology has largely changed over the past five years with the increased use of Google Classroom and Chromebooks. During my school experience, and the first half of my career, technology was clunky, largely unavailable, and Microsoft/Windows based. A group of 25-30 computers were available for the entire rural school and teachers took turns booking the computer lab. Further, projectors and tvs with connections to computers have replaced the tv carts, which too, were available in a similar manner to a computer lab. I am nostalgic thinking of the excitement of seeing the tv cart being rolled into the classroom as a youngster. That’s a thrill only those born in the 80s and 90s recall.
Over the past five years, Rouleau School has been 1:1 with each student having access to a Chromebook in the Grade 3-12 class and iPads in the Kindergarten to Grade 2 class. This has been a dramatic shift in our 7-12 classrooms as teachers organize and deliver all content through Google Classroom. While convenient, it has had some unexpected results. Students attendance has decreased as material is available on the Google classroom and it has become a crutch for the urgency to attend class. Again, mixed feelings as those who are away for excused absences are able to work on their material while away. Further, we have struggled with students accessing Artificial Intelligence sites like ChapGPT to complete their work for them. Although it’s great that they have learned to use these tools, we have noticed some academic misconduct through their use. After these five years, my thoughts on the effectiveness of academic technology ebb and flow daily.
Based on my experience as a teacher, administrator, and now parent, my understanding of educational technology has evolved. Through Neil Postman’s (1998) writing on five ideas about technological change, I surmise a contemporary definition of education technology is something that is added to classrooms and adapted to, not adapted for. Each of these educational technologies, from the time of written language to the widespread use of Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, and personal devices has completely reshaped how students are taught and show evidence of their learning. In many ways, we have enhanced education by with technological changes likes robotics courses, computer science classes, and other hands-on technology for Practical and Applied Arts courses. In many ways though, we have stopped teaching simple computer skills (typing, document organization, spreadsheet skills), and simply moved courses online. Lastly, distance education through the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre has opened opportunities for many students to take courses they wouldn’t otherwise have, but has reduced the amount of time students spend face to face with a teacher and their peers. For every positive, there are drawbacks.
Postman, N. (1998) Five Things We Need to Know about Technological Change.
