On day 28 of the teachthought 30-day blogging challenge the question is: Should technology drive curriculum, or vice versa?
I love using technology in the classroom. It motivates students, makes my job more interesting, helps me to stay organized and so much more. But, just as a text book is not the curriculum, neither is technology. It is important to always be focused on the goals and objectives of the curriculum no matter what materials and methods are being used to deliver that curriculum. Clearly, curriculum should drive the technology that is used in the classroom.
That being said, I do believe technology should be an essential part of the curriculum in order to fully prepare students for the future. There may be disagreements as to when to introduce technology, but I believe that by the time students graduate, all students should be able to use technology to search for information, evaluate the sources of information, collaborate with others using technology and communicate their findings. These are essential skills not just for the future, but for today’s world.
In order for technology to be effective in achieving curriculum goals, teachers must plan carefully. As I’ve written in a previous post, the SAMR Model is helpful in creating lessons that successfully integrate technology.
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