Technology Equality

Before I read the assigned articles, I assumed that I would use technology in the classroom, but I also assumed that my students would be far more adept at manipulating the technologies than I would. My first assumption is correct (although my ability to incorporate technology will be dependent on my school’s resources and funding). My second assumption may be incorrect, depending on the financial circumstances of my students. Because I hope to teach at a school with a large low-income population, I should be prepared for a large disparity in my students’ familiarity and mastery of technology. Knowing that my classroom may be the only place where some of my students have access to computers makes it all the more important that I provide opportunities and guidance for students to gain experience using computers, searching the internet, utilizing software programs, etc.

Knowing that some of my students may have difficulties accessing technology should not stop me from creating assignments that require the use of technology. It would be a disservice to allow any students to get through school without at least a basic understanding of how to use computers and properly navigate the web. That said, I disagree with one statement made by Swain and Edyburn; they wrote, “Even if an incoming freshman is highly gifted, if he or she is not extremely familiar with using technology in the learning environment, that student is at a decided disadvantage the second he or she steps onto the university or college campus.” (2007). Most universities are woefully behind secondary schools – and even primary schools – in their utilization of technology in the learning environment. Many classes are still taught in a lecture format, and depending on the discipline it can be difficult to find a professor who accepts work electronically. More advanced applications of technology are probably more encountered by students majoring in engineering, some sciences, and perhaps the business schools.

But even if most universities are still playing catch-up technologically, in most workplaces it is essential to know how to use computers, communicate electronically, and utilize the internet efficiently. So it would be a disservice to students if they did not encounter technology – if it doesn’t make a difference in college, it will certainly make a difference when they enter the workforce.

For students with limited access to technology, I would research options for providing them additional time to work on computers. If my school has a computer lab, perhaps I could negotiate an extension of hours or a semi-private tutoring session just for students without computers at home. If there is no lab at my school, I will work with my local library to see if I can get more access for them. The Multnomah County library system, for example, has a multitude of computer labs, and it may be possible to negotiate additional access time for class assignments. Another option is to look for grant opportunities in order to purchase the appropriate equipment; writing grants can pay off!


Reference:
Swain, C. and Edyburn, D. (2007). Social justice: Choice or necessity? Learning and leading with technology, March 2007.

PowerPoint

One fun thing about watching my classmates’ presentations was seeing how each person chose to explore topics they liked and wanted to share. I especially enjoyed the creative uses of sound clips; that element was often used to provide a bit of humor within the presentations.

A few presentations seemed a bit text-heavy, and it seemed like a few of my classmates felt they had to “get through” a lot of material. The presentations that were most enjoyable were the ones with a very narrow focus, which allowed the presenter to take his or her time during the presentation. One pet peeve I have is that I noticed a couple of times when there were factual or grammatical errors on a presentation; that is completely distracting, and as an audience member it makes me feel like the presenter couldn’t be bothered to adequately research their topic or review their slides for correctness.

The best presentations, in my opinion, had a semi-leisurely pace and a narrowly focused topic. This allowed the presenter to adequately explain their subject and complement their explanation with appropriate visuals. To improve my own presentation (and future presentations), I will rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! And be brutal with myself about narrowing the presentation scope in order to insure that I include only what is absolutely necessary.

I think that PowerPoint is a useful presentation tool, but only if used judiciously. It is too easy to cram slides full of material and add lots of animations and whirlygoogles which serve to detract from – rather than enhance – the audience’s ability to understand the topic. PowerPoint can complement a presentation by providing structure to it (and keeping the presenter on-track rather than off on a tangent) and displaying visuals which can solidify the concepts for the visual learners in a classroom. In short, I think PowerPoint is like any other tool – terrific when used appropriately and for the right job, potentially disastrous if used incorrectly.