ABC Community School

5/5/2017

Ashley Vidal
 As time go by, technology does as well. Each year, it seems that we get more and
advanced technology. Technology is becoming more of an essential element and tool to
everyone in the world. We use technology to communicate, to perform an assignment, to do
work, and even to organize our life. It is undeniable that technology has such a significant
impact in life today. Face it. Our life is surrounded by technology. Many people become famous
and successful through technology. Thinking about that fact, I would like to bring up two quotes
that come from the school district and Board of Trustees. CCSDs motto is: Setting the
Foundation for Success. The Board of Trustees Vision says: All students progress in school
and graduate prepared to succeed and contribute in a diverse global society. Considering
those two quotes and the fact mentioned before, it feels very hypocritical to hear that the
integration of technology in teaching and learning is being strictly limited or even abandoned.
In this world, success is not reached without notice, and honestly cannot really be reached
without the help of technology. Why must we abandon and try to hide away a critical element
of success in life to students?
Also, please consider the vision of the Board of Trustees. It mentions that the
studentswill be prepared to succeed and contribute in a diverse global society. As was said
earlier, the whole global society uses a form of technology one way or another. Whether its
outdated or not, technology is still technology. Society uses technology in everyday lives.
Students must become familiar with the use of information technology, since all jobs in the
society of the future will depend on it (Cervaenanska) So, by taking away technology in
education, exactly what are we preparing the students for? We let them use their knowledge of
standardized tests in the real world and let them figure out themselves how to use technology
in society? Then if thats so, exactly what was our jobs as educators? We practically taught
them nothing about life, but only about tests.
If we constantly try to hide and or take away realities of this world from them, they
cannot be successful. That is not providing a foundation to success. Trying to hide and limit
technology from students because they believe that it will help them to learn and pass the
standardized exams is probably the worst idea. In fact, as educators, we try to do the best of
our abilities to try to teach students effectively. We always emphasize how we must do to the
best of our abilities accommodate the differently learning styles of students. Yet, by taking
away a major contribution thats helped all three learning styles and even those who require
special needs, we end up depriving them of their needs. Technology is able to accommodate
those visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. They can see what they need to learn, listen,
and the activity can even be interactive. Most of all, it doesnt bore them.
Of course, its always a better idea to do anything with modesty. Im not trying to say
that technology should be used to teach all the time. What I want is that technology be
integrated in teaching not technology do the teaching. When technology is combined with the
traditional teaching, it reaches more to students. It becomes more involving and not boring.
Technology offers opportunities for learner-control,increased motivation, connections to the
real world, and data-driven assessments tied to content standards that, when implemented
systematically, enhance student achievement as measured in a variety of ways, including, but
not limited to standardized achievement tests. (Earle, p.iii) I hope that we can re-think about
the abandonment of technology in education.
 Citation (MLA)

Cervenansk, Marcela. "NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION."

Technologia Vzdelavania, vol. 21, no. 1, 2013, pp. 1-2, ProQuest Central,

http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1399318522?acc

ountid=27953.

Earle, Rodney S. The Integration of Instructional Technology into Public Education:

Promises and Challenges. ET Magazine, Jan. 2002.

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic87187.files/Earle02.pdf
 For grade 5, a few standards from state, national, and district were fairly similar. One of
the standards similar was about a student being able to appropriate their goal through
technology of some sort. The standards for students concerning technology in the state level
says: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of
purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats digital media appropriate to their goals.
The national technology standard for students is: Process new ideas based on existing
knowledge to brainstorm solutions to an authentic problem using digital tools. Lastly, the
districts standards for fifth graders are: according to the national, state, and district standard
for technology, all three agree that if the student is able to use a multimedia tool to present a
project or their idea, they meet the standards.
 For the 8th grade standards, a similar standard from all three levels are the
appropriation of citing resources and/or ethical technology behaviors. The ISTE states: Students
recognize the rights responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an
interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical.
The state standard of Nevada says: Model legal and ethical behaviors when using information
and technology including properly selecting, acquiring, and citing resources. Finally, the
Districts version of that standards is: Practices legal and ethical behaviors when using
information and technology, and discuss consequences of misuse.
Finally, the high school standard of technology is to be able to find new solutions to a problem
by using technology creatively. The state standard states: Students use a variety of technologies within
a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. The
national standard is: Justify method of electronically interacting for a specific goal or purpose. Lastly,
the districts standard version: Given a system, identify possible ways to improve the product,
productivity and or management. Although the national standard is a little different, it basically says that
by 12th grade a student must be able to justify the use of a technology method whether it be old or new.

To compare all 3 standards, Ive noticed that the national standard seems to be vague in their
standards, while the state and district are more specific in their goals. This tells me that the state and
district, takes the national standard in to consideration, but while complying with it, applying it to the
current needs of their society. Which means, the standards of the state and district are the important
needs that our students really need to achieve to be successful in a society filled with technology.

In conclusion, for the standards of technology to be met in the district, state, and national level,
the instructional choices of teachers must always involve some sort of technology during lectures or
projects. Of course, as they grow older, educators must start using more complicated usage of
technology for the students to learn. Which is why, in elementary school, students do activities on the
computers (e.g. computer games), middle schoolers have a computer class, and high school freshman
also have a computer class. This is so that students can meet the standards of technology. One of the
standard from the national level that I find most important is standard 6, which basically states that
students will use technology to accomplish their goal for the assignment. That is the standard that I will
be requiring for my students to be able to accomplish.