EdTech has evolved to encompass so many areas of both education and technology. So many different types of technology have become valuable pieces of classroom instruction and taken on new, educational characteristics in a lot of cases. At the moment, there are some important topics dominating the most talked about areas of EdTech, including student privacy, the application of data, the longevity of EdTech tools, and the purchasing process to name just a few. In this week’s blog post, we’re covering some of those topics (along with some others) and discussing why they’re such relevant pieces to the 21st century education puzzle, helping to make EdTech implementation a more guided process for instructors rather than a guessing game for them and administrators.
Computational Thinking
One of the most valuable skills students today can possess is the ability to think in a computational way. We refer to this type of thinking as computational because it mirrors the way that computers think—eliminating inefficient approaches and finding the most efficient way to solve a problem. Though people can’t think in exactly the same way as computers, we have to train each other to get as close as possible. Computational thinking requires students to fully understand all aspects of the problem they are trying to solve, including why this problem has come about, potential solutions, and possible outcomes based on what they attempt to do to solve it. In order to master computational thinking skills, the best thing that students can do is to study computer science, which can be done with age-appropriate coding tools that include robotics and other programming kits.
Computational thinking and computer science are naturally connected because a computational approach is needed to solve the problems that programmers deal with. When students are able to recognize and define these types of problems using a computational approach, they are then better positioned to solve them using a similar kind of computational approach. On a larger scale, computational thinking in problem solving involves using computers to design algorithms and decompose problems, but does not always require the use of a computer. A student does not need a computer or a tablet device to practice computational thinking. They can experience computational thinking with STEM tools, like robotics and coding kits, with or without the presence of a corresponding computer. They can still use a strategic approach to create programs that help them solve a problem or get something accomplished.
Using a computer science-like approach can also benefit students in other areas of their education rather than only in their STEM subjects. Computational thinking is becoming a fundamental skill for all students and professionals in roles that extend beyond the STEM industries. So, for that reason, students will get a lot of benefits from trying computational thinking in as many of their classes as possible. It’s when they use computer science tools, however, that students are able to gain the maximum benefits. Computational thinking can be highlighted in math, science, and engineering classes in a number of different ways, including helping students communicate more precisely, testing and refining theories, and carrying out investigations to name just a few. As time goes on, computational thinking is going to become more and more important for future generations of students, which is why the focus on it is so huge.
Global Learning
Global learning in today’s sense has a few sub-areas that are commonly discussed in education. And, within those, there are two main areas that we tend to focus on. They include empowering students to connect with peers in different parts of the world and creating learning experiences for them that will help them be prepared for a global economy. Global learning helps students develop relevant skills and empathy for others around the world, taking into consideration that others’ needs, beliefs, and their access to various resources are likely different than those they are used to. When students start to realize that everybody’s physical, social, economic, cultural, and political systems are each unique, it opens up the opportunity for dialogue and helps students live more informed lives starting from a younger age.
By exposing students to different views and approaches that are held around the world, educators can prepare them to adapt and contribute in a global society that’s constantly changing at a rapid pace. The kinds of learning experiences they take part in can either set them up to thrive in these types of professional situations or require them to adjust. By taking note of what international partnerships and relations are like, teachers can start to mirror similar experiences for their students throughout the curriculum. These experiences can carry over outside the curriculum too as students take part in collaborative extracurricular activities with their classmates or students from different schools—so long as the goal of mirroring modern societies and work environments stays in focus.
Being prepared for a global world also means equipping students with skills to communicate in new and different ways. Of course, they’ll be communicating with colleagues who may not speak the same language, so the introduction of foreign languages is often big once students get older and can focus a bit more on global learning. This could also mean more of a focus on learning some new programming languages so that, as employees, they can remain versatile and give their employers maximum value with whatever challenges they’re facing. All of these elements are often changing, however, so—like with a lot of learning in the 21st century—the best approach could be to simply provide opportunities for students to learn how to learn. Staying curious can help them pick up on new things, communicate in more effective ways, and even develop the right attitudes for innovation along the way.
Digital Citizenship
Ever since computers started becoming household learning tools in K-12 schools, the topic of digital citizenship has been on the minds of teachers and administrators. We didn’t always call it digital citizenship, however, commonly referring to online etiquette simply as ‘online safety’ or ‘Netiquette.’ Now, as children are using technology and Internet-connected devices from an extremely young age, educators and parents are being forced to prepare them with how to be safe online starting much earlier than they had to do so before. Since technology is quite ubiquitous now and kids are using it all the time—even creating profiles and accounts on all kinds of sites—the conversation has shifted a great deal and now includes a whole bunch of niche areas, including how to stay both safe and respectful on social media sites.
Some of the suggestions teachers can give their students are quite obvious, but, the more they’re repeated, the more likely they are to stick with them. These include never sharing your exact location, never using social media to hurt or harm somebody else, and never publicizing anything that could be dangerous, embarrassing, or illegal—you know, the things that seem so obvious until the time comes and the content is just too ‘good’ to not share with the world. Since today’s generation of students has grown up with easy access to technology oftentimes guaranteed, it can be hard to undo some of the habits they may have already developed. That’s why teachers are working to address these important digital citizenship topics earlier than ever. One way is to give them more access to technology, but monitor how they use devices while in school. This will help them to form good digital habits and help them start to understand that everything they do online can likely be traced back to them.
Students need to know the importance of being a good digital citizen and, for that reason, the idea of digital citizenship has evolved into a skill that many educators feel is absolutely necessary today. While some of the do’s and don’ts might seem obvious to some, it’s important that they’re always reinforced so that they start to become second nature to students. Preaching proper digital habits and actions helps students to understand the benefits and risks that come with the Internet and how to stay safe in the digital world. These days, a course on digital citizenship is seen by some as just as valuable as driver’s education or a health class, illustrating just how important technology has become in our connected world. But, since the digital world is so, so massive, it will do students and teachers well to start the conversations early—the informal variety works great, too—and make sure that students understand the power, risks, and potential of the technology they use without too much thought every day.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Again, there are two different trajectories that the implementation of augmented and/or virtual reality can create in education. Both can be used to supplement traditional classroom content and help students engage more with learning materials, leading to increased understanding and retention. They can also help students move from consumers to creators by designing objects and content using these tools. While AR and VR systems could be expensive depending on which ones you choose to use, they can also deliver a substantial return on investment if rolled out effectively. Both educators and students are starting to move more to the creation side of things by using virtual tools to develop artifacts from all of the areas they’re learning about during the course of the school year.
With both of these media, the ideal learning outcomes are those that allow for students to take part in creation rather than just consumption. It’s possible to deploy VR devices in a 1:1 capacity (Google Cardboard, View-Master, and Gear VR among the best options), which does a lot to increase personalization for each student in the class. One of the greatest benefits that today’s VR headsets offer is the 360-degree view for the user. This allows students to spend more time looking at certain elements of a virtual lesson and helps to make sure they don’t miss anything they might be interested in or need to know. One great example for creating in VR (from our friends at ISTE) is to have a student create a virtual reality crime scene complete with small bits of evidence and then have others try to figure out who committed the crime!
Any time a technology allows for students to create and collaborate as they learn about that technology, it becomes that much more valuable in the classroom. Being able to collaborate and create content in real time also helps deepen engagement and learning outcomes for students. VR and AR can also each tie in with global learning, which we discussed earlier. VR helps students gain a much greater understanding of how the world and its features look beyond their classroom. If nothing else, virtual reality can help students prepare for the future in other ways, too. You may have noticed that VR is much more prominent than it was just a few years ago. Gaming, entertainment, and education are just some of the industries that are experiencing at least a bit of a shift to virtual reality content. And, if students start learning about how to create within VR and how to leverage this exciting medium, then they’re that much more prepared.
Learner Profiles
In 2019, teachers have the ability to learn a lot about their students, what they like, how they learn, and even what to avoid in some cases. Technology has helped educators know and understand more about the students they’re teaching than ever before and more and more classroom instructors are starting to take advantage of that. With all of the data on students that is now available to teachers, it’s important that they capitalize on it and put what they’re able to learn into action. One way this is done is through the creation of learner profiles. Every student learns in a different way and there are so many different types of ways in which students could prefer to learn. So, by maximizing what they know about each student in their classroom, teachers are able to use the profiles that have been built for them to boost their individual relationships with each student and create a more effective line of communication for learning.
Getting to know students through learner profiles helps teachers increase trust and engagement as well as differentiate instruction whenever possible. Learner profiles can also do more than help teachers learn about their students’ academic preferences, however. They can be used to help them gain a better understanding of other factors, including their background, strengths, social aptitude, and previous knowledge among other things. This helps influence an educators’ instruction, which has been known to have a positive impact on student achievement. In creating learner profiles to break down and utilize the information you learn, it can be as simple as a document as long as it’s well-organized and allows for quick information finding. Teachers should set up their learner profiles in the format that works best for them!
So much of the information teachers learn about their students through casual conversations or observations can be used to build their learner profiles. Things like their aspirations, likes, dislikes, passions, life experiences, struggles, and learning preferences can all be used to build profiles. Once they have each student’s profile built, teachers can then determine which instructional styles, types of technology, or if differentiation is needed to educate them in the best way. Learner profiles can also be used in lesson planning, especially when teachers are looking to differentiate their instruction. Data is a powerful tool and the data that’s most valuable to teachers oftentimes isn’t something they can find by entering a formula in a spreadsheet. It comes from talking with your students and learning about them.
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