Media (Is) the Message?

Over the last several months I’ve had the opportunity to explore different kinds of technology and blog about my experiences. After reading about the “great media debate” started by Richard Clark and Robert Kozma, I believe that the media is not the message, but the media does affect the message. The media that is chosen to deliver the message can affect the ways in which individuals represent and process the information that has been presented. I agree with Eric Sheninger that using technology for the sake of using technology is a great waste of time. A district that launches a BYOD initiative without a plan for how it would be implemented has just given students permission to use those devices without providing direction or guidelines about how and when they should be used. Teachers must also be prepared and introduced to the right media that can help them achieve their learning objectives.

As a librarian, I can help advocate for the adoption of technology by exploring new technologies that support the goals and objectives of the curriculum and support ISTE Standards for Teachers. 

On my campus, I've had the opportunity to lead before school “Breakfast Bytes” as a mini professional development series and introduce technology tools that allow for both student and teacher creation of content. Opportunities are provided for teachers to brainstorm ways the tools can be used to meet the objectives of their curriculums. Starting a shared Google doc will allow teachers and administrators opportunities to share new tools and apps they are using, share student or teacher samples, and provide feedback on how effective the tool is in creating or demonstrating student learning. This demonstrates the impact these tools have on student learning and would be an encouragement to teachers who are reluctant to embed technology tools within their lessons.

Blocks that may hinder the adoption of technology in education still must be considered. Protecting the privacy of student users and teaching students to be ethical users of technology should be a priority. Most older students already have an internet presence and are more cognizant of their need for privacy, but the need still exists to continue educating them about protecting personal information. Many parents are still hesitant to allow their younger children to start using any tech tools that require them to create an online account, even if it is a free account. Still another challenge in adopting technology is teacher buy-in. Some teachers may view technology on personal devices as another form of social media and fear they might be a huge waste of instructional time. As Sheninger states, “As educators we need to place a great deal of emphasis on creating artifacts to demonstrate conceptual mastery in one-on-one and BYOD environments” (2016).

Because of the great monetary investment that technology requires, it’s vital that we keep the use of technology focused on learning outcomes, authentic application of new knowledge, and developing essential skills for 21^st century learners.

References

Dash, A. (2017, January 15). On Being and Tech's Moral Reckoning. Retrieved July 27, 2017, from http://anildash.com/2017/01/on-being-and-techs-moral-reckoning.html

Standards for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2017, from             http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

The media debate. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2017, from             

http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/The_media_debate

Sheninger, E. (2016, April 25). Why Pedagogy First, Tech Second Stance is Key to the Future.                  https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2016/04/why-pedagogy-first-tech-second-stance-key-future