Well, I know most people reading this will have been listening to or a part of the debates, but those who were not… you missed out. I want to preface my reflection by stating that I started class today feeling the opposite of what you are about to read. I needed more to be informed and that is just what we got in the debate! I can say with confidence that I was swayed in the debate, here is where I sit with the question does technology enhance learning?

Multi-tasking
As we were presented with research today during the debate I was forced to think of the many times I have struggled with keeping students on task when they have technology because it is simply just too easy to switch back and forth from applications. Even as I sat down to write this reflection, I had to put my phone behind me, shut the soccer game off on the TV, and attempt to ignore the 15+ tabs I have open to focus on this task. The No A 4 U article also explains that engaging in multiple media tasks at once limits one’s ability to achieve deeper learning or cognitively process the information in front of them (p. 7). For technology to enhance learning in the classroom it would need to be task-oriented, and this is no easy feat in today’s learning environments. I have had students watching YouTube series while working, listening to music, or messaging their friends back and forth while in the same room instead of being focused on the task at hand.

Instant feedback and the lost art of spoken word
There was great discussion in the debate today on the fact that student performance data/feedback does not have to come from a screen. Yes, it is easier to have students complete a task online and use that data to assess and provide feedback for both teachers and students. But do we think a one-on-one conversation to gain that feedback could be done? Would it be beneficial to hear directly from the student and be able to engage with them off a screen? I think so. In fact, what was brought up today was that spoken word is lost in students today when utilizing technology. Saskatchewan English Language Arts curriculum even asks teachers to assess students based on their ability to speak formally and informally in front of and with their peers and just how does this happen if we rely on the ease of technology to provide us digital interactions and assessment?

Shortcuts
Ironically, as I sit here writing a reflection online, I feel it is important to discuss the need for students to learn to write on paper. There is so much out there in regard to tagging, @’ing (is that a real term?), chat slang, and shortcuts that bleed into student writing online. Another resource shared in today’s debate argues that digital technology does have beneficial impacts, however, there are doubts that those positive impacts outweigh student writing that is becoming more inconsistent and unclear (p. 1). I think of this shortcut scenario in my grade 6/7 classroom as I will have so many typed out essays sent to me that make almost no sense and what it ultimately boils down to is my students are using the Google Docs autocorrect/suggestions to “help” them finish their essay. They are not understanding the edits the application is suggesting or proofreading afterwards because they trust those edits need to be made. Instead, if we read the essay together edits can be worked out on paper or suggestions can be made based on what I or my students hear when they read their work out loud, avoiding the confusion. I know there are probably suggestions or ways to work around this that my peers on the other side of the debate could maybe comment on?!

To wrap this first debate reflection up, I will say that I am interested in reading about what my peers think of my reflection and am lucky to be getting to read theirs to see what side they are on after such a great start to our summer of debates! Once again, catch y’all on the next one where I cannot wait to tell you how social media is ruining childhood…or is it?