TEACHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY USING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF

TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

The word “technology” comes from the Greek word techne which means craft or art. Based on the
etymology of the word “technology”, the term educational technology, therefore, refers to the art or
craft of responding to our educational needs.
Different Concepts of Technology

 Technology as the use of gadgets, tools or equipment to perform a task expediently

 Technology as the collection of tools, including machinery, modifications, arrangements
and procedures
 Technology as the selection, development, managing and use of appropriate technological
processes and resources
 Technology as the choice of appropriate principles in the preparation and utilization of
conventional and non-conventional technology tools as well as traditional and alternative
teaching strategies.
 Technology in the classroom is any tool a teacher uses to convey the lesson or interact
with students.
 Technology is science or knowledge put into practical use to solve problems or invent
useful tools.
 Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life.
 Technology has evolved and shaped our workplaces in many ways, through the adoption
of tools like the internet and email for communications, word processing, spreadsheets
and presentations for office productivity.
Technology is becoming an integral part of any modern classroom. As a teacher, it is important
that you can recognize and understand the usefulness of various types of technology you might
find in your classroom. The 4Cs—critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity
—are the basic skills all students need in the 21st century (National Education Association,
2014).

Additionally, technology is constantly emerging around us, and expected to be part of every
student's learning experience. This discussion provides practical suggestions and ideas to
leverage the use of technology to guide students toward thinking critically about what they are
learning, building interpersonal communication skills, working more effectively with teams, and
creating and innovating new ideas, concepts, and products.

The following are the most profound ways through which technology has impacted education in
the current world.

 Increasing accessibility

Technology has made education much more accessible than it used to be decades
ago. Anyone can access education through online courses from the comfort of
their office or home thanks to the internet. All universities, colleges and other
institutions of higher learning have diversified and can offer some of their courses
online. Other universities have gone a step further and are now offering all their
courses on an online platform. Online courses have made it easy for anyone to
access their desired education through their computers and mobile devices. In this
way, geographical barriers that hindered learning in the past have now been
broken by technology

 Modernized resources

Spiral notebooks and three-ring binders have been replaced by laptops and tablets
in today’s technology era. Applications, class websites and other internet tools
have enabled students to manage their coursework online instead of using the
traditional textbooks, pen, and paper. E-books are becoming a way of life in many
learning institutions. For instance, Literature students who are analyzing the
fictional novel 1984 by George Orwell, may just surf online for the 1984 study
guide without going to a physical library. Online libraries are also one of the ways
through which institutions of higher learning are helping their students maximize
on learning resources. Learning resources have the advantage of being virtually
instantaneous and comprehensive. Resources online also ensure an up to date
information pool.

 Changing of Roles
 With the advent of technology in education, the role of students and teachers is
improving on a daily basis. The teacher was in the past the only source of
information in the traditional classroom. The students only played the role of
passive information receivers. The role of a teacher is gradually changing from a
sole information giver to a “guide on the side.” Students are increasingly
becoming more responsible for their learning by gathering information using
technology. Institutions of higher learning across the country are beginning to
adopt this new learning model and redesigning their curriculums to incorporate
technology.

 Increased Flexibility

As colleges and universities offer more of their courses online, it is now possible
for students to learn at their own pace. This is unlike in the past where students
were forced to stick to very strict timelines. It is now possible to get an education
from anywhere you are. Technology has also ensured that you don’t have to travel
to a physical class to learn. Online programs have also allowed students to learn
depending on the time at their disposal and their intellectual ability. Learners can
schedule their learning timetables as they wish as all study materials are offered
online.

 Expanded opportunities

Technology has expanded the opportunities for collaboration and communication.

Learning collaboration was previously limited to other learners in the same
building. Classrooms in the traditional learning had been relatively isolated.
Students at a school in the rural areas can, for instance, learn about the Arctic
without having to travel. The students can follow a team of expedition scientists
through emails, read their blogs or even talk to them directly via video
conferencing. The students can go on to share information about what they are
learning with other students in other states or other continents. The learners can
also collaborate on projects in groups using such tools as Google docs and wikis
offered by technology.

 Special Needs

Special needs have for years been a critical issue in learning. The traditional
classroom has in the past been unable to take care of students who have special
needs. The rigid and highly standardized procedures that teachers and students
must go through neglect learners with special needs. The accessible and
interactive nature of online learning creates an enabling environment for students
with special needs to have an equal opportunity at learning. Teachers can also use
the various applications availed by technology to assist learners with special
needs.
ANALYZE AND CRITIQUE THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT CONSTITUTE THE
PEDAGOGICAL FRAMEWORK IN UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY

What is EdTech?

EdTech (an abbreviation for educational technology) combines innovative learning techniques
with digital technology. It really does represent a new era of education.

You can look at EdTech from three different perspectives.

1. A set of tools providing digital alternatives to delivering education to students.

2. An academic discipline – studying, learning and teaching methods and how to utilise
them in a digital form.
3. An industry consisting of educators, start-ups and companies who develop
educational technology tools.
What is Pedagogy?

According to Merriam-Webster, pedagogy is the “art, science, or profession of teaching;

especially: education.” This definition covers many aspects of teaching, but pedagogy really
comes down to studying teaching methods. There are many moving parts to pedagogy that
include teaching styles, feedback, and assessment. While each teacher has a different
pedagogical approach to learning in their classroom, they should consider the most effective
means of content delivery based on student needs.

Pedagogy in Teaching
Pedagogy in education can either be teacher-centered or learner-centered with a low-tech
or high-tech approach. Teacher-centered learning focuses on the teacher giving lectures and
sharing content through direct instruction. It fixates on the knowledge the teacher has and
imparting that knowledge to students. Teacher-centered assessments are cut and dry meant for
students to show they know the knowledge that has been shared with them at the end of a unit.
Student-centered learning directs the student to be an active participant in their own
learning process. While the teacher still delivers content, they take on more of a coaching or
mentoring role to help students learn. Student-centered assessments are given more frequently to
assess knowledge and tend to be more objective.
High-tech and low-tech approaches refers to how much technology a teacher uses to help teach
the content. High-tech includes technology such as Google suite, personal devices, webquests,
and apps. Low-tech is more paper-based, like worksheets and hands-on projects.

Pedagogy in Education
Pedagogy in education concentrates on the different learning styles of students. Every teacher
knows that no two students are exactly the same, and so finding out how students learn helps the
teacher create lessons that help each student learn in the way they learn best. There are several
different theories as to how students learn. The first is Gardner’s Theory of Multiple
Intelligences, which was developed by Howard Gardner in 1983. It states that there are 8 ways in
which people learn. The list includes the following learning styles.
Learning styles:
 Visual-Spatial: These people are good at puzzles, maps, and directions.
 Linguistic-Verbal: They are good with words, both spoken and written.
 Interpersonal: This type of learner is very intuitive and is good at relationships.
 Intrapersonal: This learner is very reflective and self-evaluative.
 Logical-Mathematical: This type of learner is good with numbers and problem solving.
 Musical: This learner has a knack for rhythm and music
 Bodily-Kinesthetic: This learner is very hands-on and has great hand-eye coordination
 Naturalistic: This learner is in tune with nature and their environment.

Approaches to Teaching Through Pedagogy

There are 5 different pedagogical approaches to teaching. Each one is slightly different, and each
teacher needs to decide which approach works best for them. Sometimes, a combination of these
approaches can be used as well.

 Constructivist: Learners are actively involved in the learning process. They create
meaning and knowledge of learning material. Learners do not just passively ingest the
material.
 Collaborative: Multiple learners work together to learn material. Small group instruction
is based in this concept where different students contribute and help each other learn.
 Inquiry-Based: This pedagogical approach is problem-based. Students are presented
with real world problems and have the opportunity to solve them. They ask questions and
research further while learning concepts and materials that they may not even realize they are
learning. Project based learning fits in this category.
 Integrative: The integrative approach involves multiple academic disciplines. Common
language is used cross-curricular so students know what teachers are talking about as well as
expectations. This is especially important for reading and writing skills. Based on common
language, students can write in non-English classes more proficiently. It also shows students
that material learned in one class is beneficial outside those classroom walls.
 Reflective: This approach is more for the teacher than the student. The teacher reflects
upon lessons, projects, and assessments to see how they can be improved in the future.
Once again, an implementation of a combination of these pedagogical approaches benefits both
teachers and students.

Pedagogical Strategies
While there are many approaches to the personal pedagogy of each teacher, here are some
strategies that can help any teacher
 Discussion allows students to process not only their own thought process but also
evaluate others’ opinions. Collaboration or cooperative learning benefits students in this
aspect where they can learn to respect others’ ideas.
 Technology gives students access to any number of resources from across the globe.
They can talk to people from different cultures and explore places they could not visit in
person.
 Use differentiation and small group instruction to meet more individual needs of your
students. Stations, centers, and literature circles are great tools to accomplish this idea.
Technologies that can be utilized in the process of teaching and learning. For example, teachers
use PowerPoint presentations to deliver effective instruction, and students use the Internet to
conduct independent research. Those technologies in the aforementioned uses are pedagogical
technologies.

The SAMR framework serves as a support for teachers and administrators as they examine their
use of technology (Puentedura, 2009).
There are four stages to the SAMR framework:
Substitution- Augmentation- Modification- Redefinition.
During the substitution stage, technology replaces a tool to carry out the same function, but it
does not change the learning environment. For example, a washing machine is a technology tool
that people substitute for washing clothes by hand. The hand and washing machine serve the
same function; most people substitute the washing machine for their hands to make the process
more efficient. In the school setting, students use word processing programs to draft academic
writing, as opposed to pencil and paper. These are both technology integration at the substitution
level.

The augmentation stage occurs when technology contributes to a change in the learning

environment to improve the functionality of the learning experience. Allowing students to save
their documents automatically to the cloud, as opposed to manually saving them, is an example
of augmentation. The functionality of saving work has changed.

The modification stage leads to the integration of technology that causes a significant change in

the learning environment and allows educators to redesign learning tasks in new and meaningful
ways. This is the first step of using technology to alter learning tasks and experiences. Imagine
that a history assignment called for students to create a timeline of the last century, highlighting
one major event each decade. Normally, students would present their work using a piece of paper
and pencil by drawing the timeline and writing the events on the paper, or using a computer to
type their timeline. An example of modifying this task with technology could include requiring
students to create a virtual timeline using a multimedia application such as Timetoast. This task
would also require them to embed a brief summary of the event in the timeline, which could be
assessed by clicking the title as well as a function for peers to comment via the Internet.

The redefinition stage occurs when technology redefines learning and results in innovative

teaching and learning environments that would not have been possible without the integration of
technology. Learning activities at this level use multiple technology tools including the ability to
work on projects and documents simultaneously with peers, collaborating with people around the
world, and creating digital and tangible projects infused with technology.

Regardless of the SAMR level, the use of technology should be purposeful and enhance learning.
Do not use technology because it is there. No matter how innovative technology may be, if it is
not positively influencing learning goals, then it should not be used (Johnson, 2013). We
mention many different tools and apps within our examples of technology integration, but the
tool or app is not what determines the level of function; it is how this tool or app is used (Green,
2014). If someone chooses not to use the features of a particular app or tool, then the level of
integration would remain at a basic level (Green, 2014).
Source: Schoology.com, 2013