Why Educational Technology?

Why should we use technology in the classroom?  The real question should be, "Why shouldn't we use technology in the classroom?"  If this resonates with you, then you already have a clue that, as educators, we have to meet the needs of our students in their rapidly changing, digitally-infused world.  And, if you're a digital immigrant like me, then that means we have to overcome any aversion to technology before we can effectively guide our students to develop their own digital literacy.

But, you may ask, don't digital natives already have digital literacy? Why do they need our help in schools?  Well, just because they are tech-savvy doesn't mean they have digital literacy.  Simply being proficient with using digital devices (such as laptops, iPads, and Chromebooks, tablets, and smart phones) is not the end goal in integrating technology into the classroom.  It's really just the beginning.

The end goal of students developing digital literacies is to enable them to produce goods and services that will benefit their society.  We need to show them how to effectively harness their connectedness to prepare them for future jobs, many of which don't even exist yet.  That means teaching digital literacies, which are the "essential skills for managing information and communication in the rapidly changing and increasingly digital world that is the 21st century." (Sumney, 2013)  For a more detailed look at the five digital literacies, take a look at my next blog post, "What are the five digital literacies?"

Reference:
Sumney, D.  (2013).  New literacies in a digital world.  Developing Digital Literacies: A Framework for Professional Learning.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Corwin. 

Image Source: Educational Technology and Mobile Learning