Review p. 38 in Winthrop, R. & Smith, M. S. (2012). A new face of education: Bringing technology into the classroom in the developing world. Global Economy and Development. https://www.brookings.e

Review p. 38 in Winthrop, R. & Smith, M. S. (2012). A new face of education: Bringing technology into the classroom in the developing world. Global Economy and Development. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/01_education_technology_shearer.pdf

Examine the section entitled, Seven Principles for Smart Use of Technology in Education.

 There are numerous reasons why educators, administrators, or school districts have reservations about purchasing or implementing technologies in the classroom. The list of seven principles is intended as a general guide to consider when the question of technology becomes part of instructional design. Although the article is written for an audience in a developing nation, the principles have applicability to other cultural situations as well.

 Sometimes it can be easy to be too enthusiastic about purchasing and including technologies for the classroom. Access to technology can be exciting for students and can sharpen a teacher’s lesson plan. But before a commitment to cost and infrastructure is made, it is important to reflect on some of the consequences of technology. What are your personal reservations about including forms of technology in your classroom? Reflect on the consequences of building elements of technology into your instructional practices. You can draw from the list of seven principles for inspiration or elaborate on your own consideration. What reservations come to mind about including activities that rely on forms of technologies? How might you balance your concerns with the potential benefits of including technologies?

 If you are not currently teaching, imagine what you think might be major obstacles to including technology in the classroom. What do you foresee as the major limitations teachers might have about technologies in the class? 

Make sure you personalize your response, let it be practical with practical examples

References

1. Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (n.d.). Differentiated instruction and implications for UDL implementation. National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. https://sde.ok.gov/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/DI_UDL.pdf

• Pages 1-22. Differentiated instruction applies an approach to teaching and learning that gives students multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas. Differentiated instruction is a teaching theory based on the premise that instructional approaches should vary and be adapted in relation to individual and diverse students in classrooms. This report examines information on the theory and research behind differentiated instruction and the intersection with Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a curriculum designed approach to increase flexibility in teaching and decrease the barriers that frequently limit student access to materials and learning in classrooms. The text begins with an introduction to differentiated instruction by defining the construct, then identifying components and features; additionally, the text provides a sampling of applications and linkages with differentiated instruction both in theory and with specific lesson.examples.

2. Reimaging the role of technology in education: 2017 National education technology plan update. (2017). Office of Educational Technology. https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/NETP17.pdf 

• Pages 55-68: Chapter 4, Assessment. Measuring learning is a necessary part of every teacher’s work. Teachers need to check for student understanding, and parents, students, and leaders need to know how students are doing overall in order to help them successfully prepare for college and work. In addition to supporting learning across content areas, technology-enabled assessments can help reduce the time, resources, and disruption to learning required for the administration of paper assessments. Assessments delivered using technology also can provide a more complete and nuanced picture of student needs, interests, and abilities than can traditional assessments, allowing educators to personalize learning.

3. Student success: Differentiated instruction educator’s guide. (2010). Reach Every Student.  http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesDI/EducatorsPackages/DIEducatorsPackage2010/2010EducatorsGuide.pdf

• Pages 4-40. Once learning objectives have been constructed, a variety of strategies can be used to gather the assessment information from students such as exit cards, journals, checklists or simply listening to students share self-assessments after a think-pair-share. The reflective learning skills and the knowledge of their own thought processes (i.e., metacognition) that students develop by self-assessing not only serves to inform instruction but helps students clarify and advocate for their learning needs. A shared responsibility for learning is fostered and students become increasingly independent in their learning.

4. Winthrop, R. & Smith, M. S. (2012). A new face of education: Bringing technology into the classroom in the developing world. Global Economy and Development. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/01_education_technology_shearer.pdf 

• Pages 30-40: Developing world experience of technology in education. This portion of the reading reviews common critiques about the use of technology in education: value-added, infrastructure and equity, reliability and sustainability, ease of use, teacher support, political symbolism, and the role of the teacher. In addition, the article outlines seven principles for the smart use of technology in education.

Optional Video:

1. Kayser, J. (2018, May 1). Using technology to differentiate instruction [Video]. YouTube.  (15:00)

https://youtu.be/siYbepZfmRk

• Runtime: 15 min. In this video, the narrator provides a basic foundation of what is meant by differentiated instruction and how to use differentiation in a classroom. In addition, the narrator examines the ways in which technology can be used to help further the goals of differentiation.