Educational Technology Research: Don't Blink

Just as processor speeds increase exponentially, educational technology trends change rapidly. It is important to stay current on what will happen next. When given the option to check out various websites containing educational technology research, I checked out Pew Research first. I had used data from Pew Research in previous graduate work research and I like the fact that they call themselves a non-partisan “fact tank” based in Washington, D.C. I read a presentation called Reading, writing, and research in the digital age by Kathryn Zickuhr. She included this slide in her presentation:

I think we, as teachers need to teach our students about where to find reputable sources. Note that 52% check social media and 42% check with their peers. It is amazing that we have so much information at our fingertips. We just need to look at it objectively and academically.

Horizon Report: In reading the big picture NMC/CoSN Horizon Report 2016 K-12 Edition, I looked closely at the Students as Creators, a short-term trend topic. What stood out for me was this, “Educators can more comfortably design creative environments if they feel supported by school leaders in their capacity to experiment, improvise, and innovate. School curriculum structured around high-stakes testing often does not build in time, space, or flexibility for teachers to experiment with creative project ideas.” I connected this to what I have read elsewhere about the push to add A for Art/Creativity to STEM, calling it STEAM. I agree with this concept. Creativity needs to be a part of a school’s curriculum, and time should be devoted to it. Since I teach third grade, I was also interested in this finding, “A recent study of third grade students at an elementary school in Arkansas found that student-led lesson planning was a successful tool for promoting creativity and engagement, while bolstering student understanding of complex concepts.” It would be interesting to visit schools where this type of learning is taking place. If you would like to read more on this subject click here. 

Project Tomorrow: Lastly, I reviewed Project Tomorrow’s annual Speak Up Research Project, which I was curious about when it said that its data comes from students themselves about how they use technology, and how schools and communities can serve them. I like that they go right to the source, but at the top of the web page it states that you must get permission to cite the Speak Up findings. So if you want to check it out here is the website. Teachers should stay current on educational technology. It is changing education, and you don’t want to be left behind holding a pile of floppy disks, unless of course, you love technical history.