Digital Teaching and Learning

In class, we created both a Technology Contract that our students would be expected to read, sign, and abide by, as well as a Letter to Parents that would explain the technology initiative at our school. 

In creating the contract, my content area group (English) and I searched online to find examples that other high schools have used. We found 2 particular documents that embodied what we believed to be most important. The first one went in depth on using digital citizenship, while the second was a poem that we also found fitting because of its in depth descriptions on the benefits and negatives of technology usage. 

In the letter to parents, we went into specific detail on why we are using technology, what we are using it for, and how it will benefit the students. Our group found it important to elaborate in all these areas so that parents could feel comfortable with their child's technology use in school, and understand how it can be such a useful tool for them. 

In creating both these documents, these PC's were met:

Performance Criterion 3.1: Candidates design learning environments that support individual learning marked by active engagement.

  Performance Criterion 3.2: Candidates design learning environments that support collaborative learning marked by positive social interaction.

PC 3.1 is met in these assignments because the learning environment that my group was intending on creating was to have a community where technology could be used to help the student thrive. Technology is already such an easy tool for youth to use today, and to utilize it in the classroom means that they can work independently in a way that has them actively engaged.

PC 3.2 is met in these assignments because in our groups hypothetical learning environment in how technology will be used in our classroom. In the letter that we sent to parents, applications and websites that will be utilized are stated. These apps/websites often are ones that allow students to collaborate with one another through technology, in a way that is fun and positive.

My biggest hope in using technology in my future classroom is that it is more of useful tool to facilitate learning than a distraction. I fear that if it becomes a distraction, there will be so many opportunities in my teaching where technology would have beneficial where instead it could not be because of the distractions that would inhibit my students. I think that after a few years of teaching, I will be able to recognize what tech activities will cause distraction, and find a way to actively facilitate the learning environment to ward those off. This is something that will take in class experience unfortunately I believe.