Efficient technology and E-books


      Efficient Technology 

         In the article, “Getting inside the black box: Piloting and evaluating education technology in schools” by  Kristen Weatherby and Alison Clark-Wilson, the efficient use of technology is discussed. The authors state that they have worked with 150 small businesses that are working on correcting some of the most pressing issues in education through technology (Weatherby & Clark-Wilson, pg. 23, 2019). The article continues to state that efficient, effective, successful use and integration of technology is a collaborative effort, and that there are several steps that schools and educators can take to ensure that the technology they are integrating is actually solving problems within education and their classroom. The first step is to figure out what a schools needs from technology. Once it is certain that the educational issues affecting the school can be solved with technology, the next step is to assess the technology already acquired by the school to see if there is any way to adapt it for the school’s needs (Weatherby & Clark-Wilson, pg. 24, 2019). Then, if new technology is needed, the authors recommend searching online for research papers on a product to see if it holds up to claims made on a company’s website, as a product will rarely be described negatively by the people trying to sell it. Lastly, the article advises teachers to “try before you buy” (Weatherby & Clark-Wilson, pg. 24, 2019). They explain that there are companies that will allow schools to do a trial run or “pilot” of new technologies before purchasing the software. In order to have a pilot run of the technology, the authors recommend taking the following steps to ensure that accurate results are achieved. 

  • Write down a list of questions you want the pilot to answer
    • Essentially, what do you want to learn from the test run?
  • Determine the timing and schedule of the pilot
    • Timing of the pilot may be influenced by availability of sample participants, school need, timeline of purchase decision, etc.
  • Draw a sample of teachers and students to participate in the pilot
    • This group will provide feedback for the technology, it is also important to record why you chose these specific people to participate 
  • Collect your data
    • This information will include experiences or reactions of your sample, answers to questions you may have had, interviews with participants, etc.
  • Review the results of the pilot
    • Go over the data collected in the test run, and consider how different factors, such as school needs, device or technology use adaptations, etc. impact the outcome of the pilot
  • Make a purchasing decision
    • Will you but the product? Does it meet the school’s needs?
  • Make an implementation plan
    • How will teachers and students learn to use the new technology? Teachers should receive a first lesson to know how to use and implement the technology in their classroom 
  • Evaluate the implementation against your objectives
    • Continuously evaluate new tech and how it is used in the classroom. Does it meet classroom needs? Collect feedback from students and teachers.
     So what does this mean? For teachers interested in purchasing or acquiring new technology, it is important to remember that all technology is not going to be the best fit for a school/classroom. Some educational issues are not correctable through the use of technology and other solutions must be found. It is also important to remember that technology companies are looking to sell their products, and will use or omit different types of evidence, like anecdotes, to do so, and educators must do their own research to get a fair understanding of a product. Lastly, technology has many uses, and technology that a school already has may be used for another purpose, so it is important to consider options before buying new.

Source: WEATHERBY, K., & CLARK-WILSON, A. (2019). Getting inside the black box: Piloting and evaluating education technology in schools. Impact (2514-6955), 23–25.


Technology of the Week: e-Books & e-Readers     

One technology that I am interested in using in my classroom is e-Books and e-Reader devices. I personally prefer to read from a physical book, there is a lot of convenience and accessibility that e-Books can offer. Aside from offering a solution to books left at home or at school when reading has to be done, e-Books have the ability to save space and weight in a student’s bag. I can remember complaining about sore shoulders and upper back pain caused from the weight of my backpack and the text books that I had to carry. Having my books on an iPad or kindle would have been much easier. It’s also worth noting that e-Books and e-Readers like iPads, Kindles, or even library run apps like Libby or Hoopla open up reading to different types of learners. Both Libby and Hoopla offer e-Audiobooks that are accessible through the use of a library card, and better yet, free with a library card. For students who may have trouble retaining information from traditional reading, these options can allow them to listen to the books they are reading, and may allow them to be more confident in their ELA abilities.

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