Starting to Think about Technology

In the podcast entitled "21st Century Education" (Australian Broadcasting Corporation [ABC], 2012, 8:01), Greg Whitby says that focusing on the technology that we need to use for education detracts from the real issue, which is the quality of the teaching that is taking place.

I agree with Greg in his comments that we need to focus on the learning that is happening in schools and equipping students for contemporary learning. If we focus on the teaching and learning that is important in today's world, then we are more able to provide opportunities for students to use the tools and resources that are available to them.  It means using what we have to enhance learning, rather than looking at the tools and trying to fit in our teaching and learning to accommodate them.

As teachers, we are constantly looking at how to engage students in a way that is meaningful for them.  Gardner (as cited in Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 44).
 I think we focus on technology because it is dynamic, interesting, and there is more and more potential with every new piece of hardware and software. We are fascinated by every new thing that we learn of, and so we want to try it.  I suspect that we also feel, as teachers, that we want to keep up with our students, and we want to engage them, and so we think that we need to use the latest technology to do this.  I'm not sure this is the case, as there is much that students need to learn about managing the technology they have at their fingertips.