Overcoming the Feared Technology Monster

Giving up control for most of us is a crazy concept. We like to think that we control what our students learn, how they learn it, and how they act while doing so. But the reality is that we don't.

I make this statement because I think that we try to control students way too often in their use of technology. There is an overwhelming belief that if we give them restricted access to the use of technologies in the classroom then that is the best way for them to learn. I disagree.

I truly feel that we should allow students to have open access to all technologies in the classroom. By this I mean no limitations on internet usage, access to social networks within the school setting, and yes even CELLPHONES ALLOWED IN CLASS! There are so many advantages that these technologies offer us in the classroom that if we do not open up access I feel that we are doing our students an injustice.

Many teachers would agree that there are a lot of advantages to using these technologies, they do not agree with providing free access to students because teachers are concerned about students using technology in inappropriate, un-educational ways. I can understand these concerns but I have a few rebuttals to this idea:

1. If we do not give students the chance to make decisions for themselves, they will never develop the skills. Like it or not, technology is going to be a part of our students lives for the rest of their lives. If they learn early on to make decisions on their own with technology they will be more likely to make positive decisions in life with technology also.

2. A student being off task with a technology is not any different than a student being off task without it. We already have students become off task in classrooms everyday without technologies. If they are doodling on the page, day dreaming, passing notes to the cute guy across the room, or gossiping with their friend beside them our students are already being sidetracked. We do not ban our students from having pens in class if they doodle so why do we ban students from having phones in class when they text? We already have methods for dealing with "regular" distractions and I feel like that they could be used effectively with technologies also.

3. If students remain off task because of technology they will see it reflected in the product of their work. This provides us with an opportunity to help our student learn about being responsible for his or her actions. Banning his or her use of technology does not teach the student to be accountable for his or her actions

4. By creating restrictions for technologies, we are challenging our students to try and break our rules. If we give our students open access while teaching them to be responsible about using technology I feel that we would be much more effective.  Students would be able to spend more time using technology responsibly because they are not preoccupied with breaking our technology rules.

We need to get over our big fears of technology and realize that no matter what medium we provide students to learn in, there will be risks. Instead of trying to control we need to learn to guide. By doing so we provide our students with more resources, more chances to learn, and more chances to act responsibly.