Transforming Education Through Technology

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more." ~ Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

The world we live in today is very different from the world of the past--even the recent past. Sometimes, as teachers, we feel overwhelmed by advancements in technology. It's as if we have landed in Oz. Nothing is as we remember it, and we struggle to relate to the Munchkins we teach because they come from a different generation. Our students have different learning needs than we did when we were students. Children today have used a cell phone or played Wii before they have learned to read or to add.

Our classrooms and our instruction need to adapt to meet the needs of 21st century learners. In the article "Transforming Education with Technology," Marge Scherer explores how technology is being used in public schools. Unfortunately, not all schools have the extensive access to technological devices that every student described in this article.

Despite this, teachers need to use the technology they can access to engage students. In my classroom, I am privileged to have a SMART Board which I can use to engage my students in lessons. I also book computer lab time when possible so students can do podcasts, blogs, glogs, Voice Threads, and so on.

We can't rely on the Wizard to deliver us the amount of technology we need/want to meet our students needs; we must work with what we have and engage our students in smart ways.