technology – Adventures in Ed Tech!

Technology can Enhance; Enhance; Enhance Learning.

Officer Thorny is on the case – Super Troopers (2001)

What happens when you find yourself driving to soccer practice at the same time that the debate sign-up opens? Well, you end up finding out a lot more about why educational technology may not always enhance learning in our classrooms. I am a bit of a techie (and trekkie), so having to debate against the idea of using tech in the classroom was one of those silver linings.

“When given access to appropriate technology used in thoughtful ways, all students—regardless of their respective backgrounds—can make substantial gains in learning and technological readiness,” said Darling-Hammond, the faculty director of SCOPE.

This quote sums up my viewpoint on technology in the classroom. In the quote, one keyword stands out, ‘thoughtful’. As I read it, this word means intentional or purposeful, not just for the sake of checking a box on an evaluation or trying out some new ‘toys’. Technology is a modern reality, and the use of it within our classrooms can provide the necessary skill development for our modern working world.

Kids these days, they’re different…(another time, another place for that debate), but the learners in our classrooms have evolving needs. Technology is perhaps the pinnacle of efficaciousness. From challenging those gifted learners to supporting those who have delays or gaps in their learning, technology can be the classroom pet you have always dreamed of – the octopus.

Gemini (Jul 14, 2025 9:15 PM CST) Prompt – create an image of an octopus in an elementary classroom with the name tag reading pet

Technology in the classroom has the opportunity to be the great equalizer. The World Wide Web has many free resources, many digitized resources that can be read to our ‘non-readers’. This instant access highlights the importance of critical thinking skills. Free and widely available means fewer checks and balances. This means any septuagenarian can gain power and spout lies that can be perceived as truths without critical thinking skills. As much as tech can equalize, it can also highlight the digital divide 2.0.

I often wonder, what is the best age to dive into bringing Chromebooks into our classrooms? There is no doubt that technology is now vital to supporting the special needs of the children in our classrooms. From reading to language learning and other cognitive or physical abilities, all these students can benefit from technology. As a class, I feel ‘thoughtful’ inclusion of technology is the best practice.

Live long and Prosper – Star Trek (1966)

Personal note: I am not a supporter of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. However, I think the video provides that stern speech that, if not careful, can convince you of…

With great power…

(Anti)Social Media can not be inherently good or evil. That being said, the end users can be in a place in their lives where they can be easily persuaded, in an altered mental state or are just inexperienced in their lives. All three of those descriptions fit with the reality of youth. Who bears the responsibility of protecting our youth from the adverse effects of social media, a tool that can be used for good?

Policy makers, of course. In this commentary from the Canadian Pediatric Society and in the arguments made in Debate #2, they outline how policymakers need to investigate age verification and examine how data is collected from users who are minors. In the simplest ways, age verification can be easily defeated by changing your year of birth. However, some verification sites require proof of ID, like a driver’s license. Now, sharing that level of information taps into the issues of privacy and sharing too much information, an issue that developing minds struggle with, just like aging parents and grandparents who get scammed.

The debate sources also noted the need for academia to be involved with research on the effects of social media and mental health. As I read through the sources and listened to the debate, I began wondering about the compounding effects that social media (and screens) have on our youth. As noted in the Surgeon General’s report, youth would often be accessing content in the hours when they would be sleeping. So, as a youth with a negative body image or a low self-worth, they are limiting crucial developmental time and filling it with negative content (potentially). This can create addiction and lead to the creation of hate towards others.

Of course it can’t be all bad…can it? No. Like many answers in life, balance is key. What does balance look like and feel like? I can’t answer that at the moment. But I know that a unified effort is key to supporting the usage of social media and the healthy development of our youth in today’s world. I have anecdotal evidence to support the positive that social media can bring. My daughter stays connected to her friends who moved to Ontario through FaceTime and FB messenger. I have a student who moved to my school (small & rural) from an urban centre. Her social community from her old school doesn’t exist in her new school, but through social media, she is still able to stay connected and find companionship.

Overall, I believe families need to be responsible as the first responders and mentors to social media usage within our youth. Yes, as a teacher, I can provide lessons on digital literacy, but I can’t dedicate all my time to social media usage, nor am I around the child when they are accessing social media content. Policies are great, but not foolproof (see: drunk driving or school shootings). Tech companies will always have profit-first mentalities and can’t be trusted to make real and meaningful changes to social media (see: Big Tobacco). Social media can be an incredible tool for activism and support in our world – a world that is shrinking because of social media, but users of social media must be responsible and respectful.

A “Day” in my Tech Life

My wrist is vibrating, vibrating, vibrating…my sleepy eyes lock in on the face of my smart watch, and I tap to end the vibrations. Sometimes I get up, sometimes I snooze. When I get up, I run through my morning routine and head to school. Over the past year, I decided to avoid looking at my smartphone until 8:30 am on work days. If I walk to school (500 m), I might check my phone for messages, depending on what I am expecting, both personal and professional.

As I set up in the gym office, I fumble through 2-step authentication. If you are unaware, there is a group of penguins in Antarctica trying to access the information housed on the Horizon servers, thus requiring 2-step authentication and frequent password changes. I open my work email, smile because as the PE teacher. I am of low importance, and the gym is not needed for another random presentation or event.

I log into Chalk, a planning service known as Planboard. I double-check my plans for the day. Once everything is confirmed in my brain, I open up a shared Google Doc and input what activity will be in the gym during my lunch supervision. As I wait for my first period, I usually start watching YouTube for different sports and games ideas. If I am teaching classes from grade 7 and up, I will have to access MySchoolSask to input attendance or enter marks if needed. The rest of the day will be spent checking sporadic emails on my phone or receiving a few random messages through different services…

Messaging and communicating go through (too) many services in my life. Professionally, email is the number one form, but I get the odd text message if it is deemed more urgent. Apparently, in the 90s and earlier, no such urgency existed. Personally, I use text, email, WhatsApp, Facebook (Messenger) and TeamLinkt. Depending on what sport, club or event is happening. These modes of communication can run my day after work and on weekends.

As a classroom teacher, I would typically rely on Google Classroom as a means to support online work and serve as the online meeting point for my students. I still use it for my Wellness 10 class and PE 7-9, but very sparingly. The majority of communication with students is face-to-face, while my communication with parents is via e-mail, unless very pressing (like an injury), it would then be a phone call.

Overall, I am a passive user of social media. I skim through Reddit and Facebook, and if I am connecting with friends and family, it is done by text message.

Oh yeah, I guess I should make a note of AI. In my personal life, I have not actively engaged in the usage of AI, but I am aware that it is lurking in the background. As a teacher and grad student, I have dabbled in services like ChatGPT and Gemini. I use Grammarly to support writing conventions and have used TeachMateAI to help create plans and comments for email, but not very often. At this time, AI isn’t a big part of my daily Tech life…at least that I am aware.