TechnologyTeachingPhilosophy

Writtenby
ChrisHeiman
June2014

UniversityofNebraskaKearney

Now preparing for my seventeenth year in education, I am still

continually looking for ways to strengthen the instruction my students
receive from me. I have always felt comfortable with various forms of
technology, and my confidence is all that much greater with the additional
exposure and practice over the years.
A veteran teacher such as myself has much to gain by broadening the
scope of their practices within the classroom. Having already established my
curriculum and the essential means by which I teach it, exploring and
discovering alternative methods of instructions can prove to be a beneficial
aspect of the curriculum. In these instances, I should better know how to
best include the chosen method without subtracting or merely deviating from
established objectives.
Currently in my role as a science teacher, I incorporate various
technologies into the classroom already. In addition to the typical use of web
sites to augment the content, I utilize several online simulation programs
that allow my students to gain a basic grasp of ideas before we truly explain
the reasoning. Many of our in-class labs are conducted using various
probeware methods of data collection. Perhaps most fundamental is my use
of an online homepage (first through eLearning and now Moodle) to help
keep my students organized and focused on current expectations. All of this
and Im still looking for more way to make my classroom as inclusive as

possible, perhaps through the creation of a Twitter feed or other use of social
media forms.
This does bring to mind a note of caution. While many get excited
about the prospect of arming every student with technological firepower,
sometimes little thought is given to the ammunition provided much less the
targets they are shooting at. Analogies aside, there are numerous examples
of teachers focusing on the devices and not necessarily how they are going
to be used. It is this misplaced attention that leads to situations where the
initiative is seen as a waste of time and resources rather than an educational
boon. Instead, a teacher must begin with the idea of why they want to make
the change and let that decision help dictate what follows.
As obvious as that may seem, its still easy to lose perspective,
especially when trying to keep up the constant implementation of new
methods. I can admit that, earlier in my career, incorporating technology
into my classroom was sometimes done as much to keep up with the times
as much as it was to improve student learning, as Ive always felt that old
and tired educational practices have their own set of detrimental attributes.
Numerous in-services and trainings provided different and occasionally new
ways of introducing and teaching content, and as a result, my main objective
was to simply be able to walk away having picked up a few new tricks.
Needless to say, my attitude has changed significantly over time.
Regardless of how much I continue to implement updated instructional
methods, however, I try not to lose sight of the fact that technology does not

equate to learning in a straightforward, automatic way. While the whats

and hows had always been relatively easy enough, the whys have now
become the primary focus. A better awareness of the drawbacks of
technology in the classroom in addition to the positive aspects has helped
me find not just the best way of doing things but the fairest.
Suffice it to say that I have difficulty in finding any true reason that
ignoring students interest would be productive in the least. In my mind,
disregarding what is meaningful to students, technology-related or
otherwise, only handicaps the ability of a teacher to create a positive
learning environment. In much the same way that various learning
modalities (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) were constantly emphasized as a
way to potentially reach all students, there is a greater likelihood of each
student encountering a method that can provide them a better
understanding of concepts.
Furthermore, I strongly believe that proper implementation of
technology goes beyond merely increasing student interest. From basic
information gathering to critical thought to purposeful interaction, a student
can be given a multitude of means of expression to investigate the topic and
eventually demonstrate their knowledge growth. This makes them the most
capable of students: the active learner.