What's Trending Now...

What's trending in education?  Technology, of course!~  Technology is definitely changing education and it is here to stay.  Reading through some research done in educational technology by Project Tomorrow,  it was evident that the use of technology is quickly becoming the preferred trend in education by administrators, parents, teachers and students. First, administrators see the use of technology as a good pathway of individualizing educational plans for students.  They feel is a great strategy in preparing the students for college.  For teachers, using technology is a useful tool for students to use to self-monitor.  And using the data they gather from it, teachers are able to give regular feedback and evaluate students understanding and performance. As for students, learning from online lessons via Youtube and teacher made videos, allows them to learn lessons before they come to class, such as in Flipped Learning I learned about recently.  This method of learning prepares students to do more exploration and project based learning during class, rather than listening to lecture. Other methods students are applying more use of technology in education are emails and texting as of way of asking their teachers school related questions.  And finally, research shows that majority of  parents now a days, prefer to be informed  through technology such as email, texts and online sites.  These surveyed results and other information I read were very interesting but not surprising. If you would like to learn more on these and other related research, you can read  more at Project Tomorrow/Speak Up. 

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But not all trends have favorable results.  Common Sense Research organization did a great job gathering results and raising some concerns on the affects of too much technology. The topics they posted are thought provoking and relevant. As I read through some of the reports, I was reminded that although the movement right now is to implement the use of technology in every classroom at every grade level, and the push for a techy world, we need to remember that too much of any good thing doesn't always reap the best results.  Their articles remind us when technology is over used and over done, it may create more harm than good.  Some of the interesting thoughts to consider were our digital lifestyle and the impacted in our inability to focus, cause family tension due to excessive use of technology, the impact on body image in children and teens, and so much more. These and other  research correlations are important for teachers to read and consider as they implement technology in their classrooms and bring students into the digital world.   

As I read through these reports, I found it to be very informative and thought provoking. I found so interesting, I didn't regret signing up for the site.  I think it's important for teachers and those involved in education to read through some of these reports and really weigh in the affects on students' learning and the benefits it has as well as the potential challenges.   As educators, I think it's important for us to look at researched evidence and be informed teachers who make decision based on best practice.  And remember, with all things, there is a need for balance. And what's trending now, may not be what's trending tomorrow.