Educational Technology Standards and Adaptations

One of the things that strikes me most when discussing the use of technology in our schools is the way in which it becomes marginalized. I hear"Technology is insignificant because it distracts from learning." Really? In this 21st Century it is essential that we learn to adapt and learn how to adapt to technology. Being able to google the Civil War, find pictures, articles, quotes, videos only enhances the subject matter. In addition, it is done with a medium that students know inside and out. Most people have a hard time with change. I do at times; but if our students are expected to "tow the line" with technology, we should too and set the example. According to the Oregon Educational Technology Standards (OETS) students need to be well rounded and competent with technology. This means adapting. (Time out) Watch this video of Matthew Taylor giving a speech on the enlightenment/or adapting ourselves to modern times and think about numbers  3, 4 & 5 on the OTES list: Research and Information Fluency, Decision Making and Digital Citizenship (Respectively) 

Where's the connection? The connection is that over time, research, information gathering and implementation of this "learning/gathering" was put in place to better our selves and drive progress. The use of technology in an educational setting betters the student and drives their learning; they must be competent in this task if they are to be the future of a society built on technology. 

Below are the three standards that I connect with most... how they connect to why we use adaptation to drive progress and learning, and how I plan to implement them in the classroom.

• Research and Information Fluency:  Technology is a result of countless hours of research and information gathering. I want students to be able to research youtube video recordings of different performances by the artist/piece we may study or different audio recordings of the same piece to compare and contrast similarities and differences... this is the analyzing and evaluation phase. They can then organize and use this information of performance practices to enhance their understanding or give them a great foundation with which to create their own interpretation of the piece..something they never would be able to do without technology...again adapting to the internet to drive progress and learning. 
• Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making: Embarking on a piece of music is all about problem solving, using critical thinking skills during practice and rehearsals and making informed decisions about how to start. Students can scan a piece of music as a PDF and upload it to google docs to be shared and discussed openly. What passages might be most difficult? Which sections will take the most time to get together, and where should we begin in the rehearsal process? The beginning of the piece, middle, end? They can all be on the same page, plan and manage the rehearsal activity to create a solution for a fabulous project all through the use of a google doc! 
• Digital Citizenship: A large part of using technology is collaboration. Uploading a scanned piece of music creates the possibility of misuse of information. However, the discussion and collaboration used in the exercise fosters a practical, safe, and responsible use of the information. One of the activities I will have the students do is talk to me about why doing something like this as a way to starting learning a piece of music is important and advantageous. They need to talk about the social issues of copyright laws and sheet music sharing in educational settings. This also applies to electronic versions. It is a way to drive their critical thinking and expand their foundations. We can then talk about how to use other technologies to enhance our rehearsals and then implement them into our classroom time. 

The Big Picture: These standards are trying to accomplish adaptation. We live in a culture built on technology and its use. Therefore we must learn it or suffer. 

The challenge I see in all this is not being afraid of change for one thing. Most of these technologies are incredibly simple and the learning curve is small. It takes time, yes, but it is time well spent. Secondly, educating the masses about how simple learning and using new technology is. The age of the enlightenment was all about change in thinking, technology and progress. It was not devoid of blood, sweat, and tears, certainly, but it was also exciting and forward thinking. Technology in an educational setting should be exciting! The implementation of a smart board or Screenr for demonstrations should be viewed as positives only. I believe the way we overcome this challenge of the fear of change is altering the mindset. Look at technology as innovative and enhancing; a positive global force with the ability to connect us all! Being technologically competent as a student builds success as a contributing member of society. It also contributes to their earning a diploma!