Part+1

__ Critical discussion – Stakeholders and their interests __ You will need to research and discuss the role of new technologies in school teaching and learning. The results of this research and discussion should be represented in the assignment. The points listed below are questions you should consider and discuss in this assignment:

What are the key arguments put forward for using new technologies to support school teaching and learning?


 * Technology use has become a necessary skill in the workplace

The use of computers in the workplace, along with their involvement in many other facets of people’s lives has undoubtedly increased (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005). Therefore, education and training within the school community needs to reflect such changes. Incorporating technology skills into school based learning would enable students to feel more competent, increase their employability and ultimately better prepare them for their future. The following video highlights many of the new technologies that are now being used and the skills necessary to participate in the increasingly tech-savvy workplaces. VIDEO: Technology in the workplace [] 


 * Technology rich environments increase the development of critical thinking skills

A longitudinal study conducted by McMahon (2009) found a direct link between the amount of time students spent in a technology rich environment and critical thinking skills. The more time spent in a technology rich environment, the more advanced student’s critical thinking skills became. Muffoletto (2001) also believes that visually based technology activities help foster the critical thinking skills that society demands. McMahon (2009) also found that the more up to date the technology; the more scope there was for the development of critical thinking skills. Perhaps, the constant evolution of technology forces students to analyse and re-think their understandings hence, improving these vital skills.


 * ICT has the ability to improve engagement and motivate students to learn

The vast visual, verbal and tactile experiences provided by technology open up a whole new and exciting way for students to learn. Yong and Ping (2008) found that the use virtual worlds as a teaching tool had the ability to engage many students who were otherwise disengaged with regular classroom learning materials. Even though curriculum per se was not inherently obvious in the program, skills such as visualisation, problem solving and analyse were continually required (Yong & Ping 2008). McMahon (2009) also highlighted the great value of embedding these types of technologies into the curriculum rather than simply treating them as add-ons.

__REFERENCES__ Australian Bureau of Statistics 2005, //Patterns of innovation in Australian businesses//, retrieved 26th April 2011 [] McMahon, G. (2009). Critical Thinking and ICT Integration in a Western Australian Secondary School. //Educational Technology & Society//, //12// (4), 269–281. Muffoletto, R 2001, //Education and Technology; critical and reflective practices//, Hampton press, New Jersey. Selwyn, N 2011, //Education and Technology; Key issues and debates//, Continuum International Publishing Group, New York. Yong T, L. & Ping L, C. (2008). Engaging academically at risk primary school students in an ICT mediated after school program. //Australasian Journal of Educational Technology//, 24(5), 521-539 <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Youtube, FortRouge59 2009, //Technology in the workplace//, retrieved 25th April 2011, []

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What arguments are put forward in opposition to the use of new technologies to support school teaching and learning?

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The overall lack of concrete research into the direct effects of technology on learning has caused many educators to be cautious when integrating such skills into lessons. According to Selwyn (2011) it would be extremely difficult to design an experimental study that truly measured the benefits of technology because it is so entwined in countless other aspects of life. Muffoletto (2001) also shares the concern that school investment and the increased impetus on technology has been largely impulsive. The notion that technology is the way of the future has perhaps overshadowed the need to examine the most effective ways of using such technologies.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lack of research into the impact of technology on education


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Classroom management will be more difficult for teachers

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the cartoon depicts, monitoring students will be much more difficult for teachers due to the new forms of communication that have emerged from the internet. Therefore, the classroom management strategies that have been used in the past may no longer be as effective in dealing with these new mediums. This coupled with the pressure on teachers to keep up to date with new technologies will greatly add to the already enormous workload of teachers.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teachers might become redundant

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Over many years debates have arisen as to whether technology will infact lead to the demise and elimination of the teacher in a classroom setting. As Selwyn (2011) highlights some argue that technology is already in the process of making teachers redundant, whereas others see technology as a tool that will compliment the art of teaching and provide students will far more learning opportunities. Current studies have indicated that the number of teachers necessary to carry out the process of teaching may diminish, however it seems unlikely that the profession would be phased out entirely (Selwyn 2011). However, Keller (1968 as cited in Selwyn 2011) passionately argues that teacher's will no longer have a role as an instruction giver. This role will be taken over by the internet, ipods and other electronic devices. If this is the case then we need to also question the role of the school in an increasingly technology focused future.


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">School attendance may eventually be deemed unnecessary

The new digital age comes with easier ways of communication through the use of the internet and other electronic devices such as webcams, ipods and mobile phones. As communication pathways become easier to access the argument is that perhaps just as parents can work from home, students may be able to complete school at home also. According to Selwyn (2011) when considering the role of the school people tend to think of curriculum and learning as being central to the schools purpose. However, it is important to remember the vital peer and teacher interaction that takes place both within the classroom and outside the classroom. Selwyn (2011) explores the example of the school of everything which is a virtual school that enables students to complete their education from home. Currently these virtual schools operate as an extension of the things taught in schools, however due the constant progression in technology we may soon see these types of schools become a viable alternative. The lost face-to-face interaction is the obvious downfall to these types of schooling methods.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who (which stakeholders) put forward these arguments and what do you think is the nature of their interest?

There have been many opinions given about the positive and negative implications regarding the use of new technologies to support teaching and learning in the school curriculum. While evaluating these opinions, it is important to consider who is saying what. Many parties stand to both gain and loose particular commodities with the introduction of a technology-based curriculum. Therefore, the facts and information they present may be biased in the direction of their gain. Below details how certain 'stake-holders' will be advantaged and disadvantaged by the technological reform of education. By navigating through the menu on the left, arguments for and against the technological revolution are presented

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Halverson and Smith (2009) highlighted that during the 1990's an enormous amount of public investment went into financing universal access to technology and research into the benefits of incorporating technology into the curriculum.The U.S Deparment of Education (in Halverson & Smith, 2009), reported that their Federal Government invested more than $8 billion dollars in educational technology between 1995 and 2000 and that in 1998 alone, 2.7% ($7.3 billion) of all educational expenditures went to technology (Anderson & Becker, in Halverson and Smith, 2009). This economic stimulus was in response to the perceived role of technology in the world during the 1990's. The Federal Government saw this as an impetus for reforming schools into 'technology-driven institutions' (Halverson & Smith, 2009). In this environment, students would become technologically savvy, thus creating a generation capable of, not only keeping up with current demands of technology thus making them more employable, but also becoming pioneers of this area in the future. As technology is said to be the way of the future, the Federal Governments investment in educational technology is actually an investment in cementing their position in world of the technology-based future.

During this 1990's, schools also received donations from private institutions and foundations, such as universities and technology companies. These donations funded curriculum projects that promoted the progressive approach to education seen in technology-rich learning environments. This funding aided to develop innovative technology-based curricular materials, and professional development for teachers to help them integrate these materials into their pedagogy. Ideally, the combination of innovative materials and learning opportunities would result in widespread changes in teaching and learning (Halverson & Smith, 2009). A change in this direction would ultimately benefit the universities and technology companies who invested in the educational reform. Students raised in through a technology-based curriculum would ultimately be attracted to a similar and familiar environment when choosing a path of higher education. The university programs which donated to the educational reform just so happen to offer this environment. Further, by accepting students who already have a foundation in technology, it creates the opportunity to explore further learning possibilities. This would give students the edge in employability after graduation and ultimately, present a positive reputation for the university.

The technology companies who invested in this reform would also benefit. Jonassen and Strobel (2006) argued that there is much evidence indicating that meaningful learning can be fostered through mental-model development, that is, learners create mental representations (models) of topics or ideas being studied. This type of modeling can be developed through multiple forms, such as modeling domain knowledge, problem solving, semantic structures, and thinking processes. These forms can be nurtured through using computational models which use this model-based software. There are many programs which can be utilized for education in a technological manner, such as ThinkerTools, MathLab, and Cabri. While the model-based software of these programs is evidenced to enhance the learning discussed above, it is important to point out that the makers of such programs are businesses whose main concern is the revenue of their companies.With this in mind, while Jonassen and Strobel (2006) highlight the advantages of such software programs, they do note that much research is still required to explicate which tools and forms of model based learning are more effective in facilitating mental-model development. Therefore, it is important that teachers are conscious of the information provided by software companies to promote their products and ensure that they provide an accurate description of the educational values inherent in their program.

However, there is not a universal lobby for the integration of technology into the school curriculum. Many have voiced their concerns for the future of schooling in general and questioned the effect technology will have on the current system.

The concern that a technology-based curriculum will result in teaching becoming a redundant occupation is often echoed throughout the community of practicing teachers. In part, this issue may derive from the fear of loosing their jobs as a result of such a degree of educational reform. It could also be largely contributed to the understanding these teachers have of their roles. In the traditional school setting, the role of the teacher was clearly understood as teaching the students content knowledge. Now, it is common that teachers instead teach students the tools necessary to discover the content knowledge for themselves. Many traditional teachers struggle with this ideology, and continue to resist further changes to the definition of their occupation, such as the introduction of technology-based teaching. In their publication, Beauchamp and Kennewell (2008), describe the technological revolution in education, and introduce 'technological pedagogical content knowledge' as a paradigm for incorporating technology into the classroom practices:

//"Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) is an emergent form of knowledge that goes beyond all three components (content, pedagogy, and technology). TPCK is the basis of good teaching with technology and requires an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies; pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content; knowledge of what makes concepts difficult or easy to learn and how technology can help redress some of the problems that students face; knowledge of students’ prior knowledge and theories of epistemology; and knowledge of how technologies can be used to build on existing knowledge and to develop new epistemologies or strengthen old ones//."

It can be postulated then, that unless teachers are flexible in their pedagogy and embrace the inevitable education reform, their role as a teacher may indeed become redundant.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What other issues do you predict might be associated with the use of new technologies to support teaching and learning at your school level?