TechTales 2: Harnessing Twitter for Educational Exploration and Empowerment

 

     @jtheteach on Twitter

How will I use Twitter? (Or I guess X now, I don't know I'm old...)

I plan on using Twitter as a means to further my research in schools and benefitting in finding school resources. As much as X can be a negative mosh pit of hate speech, I believe that there are ways to proactively use the site, no matter what happens we have the power to change it, and use it as a tool and means of good. I do not know yet if I would use it as a way to communicate with parents but I am open to the idea of being taught the right, safe way to use it for that purpose.

TechTales 1: Exploring the Impact of Digital Technologies in K to 9 Education

Previous educational technology experience?

I have had some very nice and fancy smartboards and I have had nothing more than an old school projector. From what I've found I'm not entirely "techy" yet, the fanciest I've gotten is using a webcam to show myself working on a worksheet.

Educational technology being used in your 3rd year practicum placement?

At my school personally, technology is well integrated, every student has the use of an iPad (provided by the school) that they can use to: take notes, answer questions, engage in homework. Now, this is only the observations of a single day (as my second visit was a technology-free camping trip) however it seems teachers and staff have embraced technology as a tool for students, and hold students accountable for using this tool properly.

What “burning” question do you have about the use of digital technologies in K to 9 education?

How openly is technology used?

For classrooms who do have technology deeply integrated into their curriculum and school atmosphere, how has it been impacted?

How has AI been brought into the curriculum? Why do some teachers choose to work with and accept AI while others choose to reject it?

To what position on acceptance vs rejection do some schools stand with AI and Technology (individually)?

Why is the question important to YOU?

 This question is important to me because I have been taught to not fully try to resist the advancements of technology. Fully rejecting or telling students a flat "no" in response to using AI and Technology will solve NOTHING instead it encourages some students to find loopholes and ways of going behind my back to use the resources anyway. AI is something we can use as a tool, and students and teachers can use it to help make their writing stronger and easier for some. I believe AI especially can be helpful for students who struggle to write or struggle to write in English, it can give students good paragraph starters. Provided students learn proper citation when it comes to the use of AI means they learn to use it responsibly and be held accountable for improper use. AI in this perspective shifts from "Cheating for 100% don't let teachers know!!!!!" to being held to the same regard as other citation and plagiarism.