DRAFT

Advantages of technology usage in the classroom

The use of technology in the classroom has increased in recent years, as it is a tool that has helped to improve the teaching-learning process. Technology has some advantages for both teachers and students. According to Dror (2008) "Technology should not be used just because it is available, but rather, because it will enable teachers and students to reach learning goals that were not obtainable or as easily obtainable without the technology". In education, technology can be used in many different ways such as online assignments, apps, or online courses. Furthermore, technology has had a significant impact on education. Technology usage in the classroom provide some advantages for the teaching-learning process such as helping to develop students' critical and creative thinking skills, helping to develop students’ new ICTs literacies, and helping to transform the conventional teaching practices.

The technology usage in the classroom helps to improve students’ critical and creative thinking skills. Educators should be aware of the great opportunity that they have to teach students how to develop critical thinking skills through technology. Developing critical thinking skills in students is really important as Cottrell (2005) said “Critical thinking is a cognitive activity, associated with using the mind. Learning to think in critically analytical and evaluative ways means using mental processes such as attention, categorization, selection, and judgment”. These critical thinking skills can be developed using technology to create discussion forums about a certain issue in which students can communicate with their classmates,   make reflections about their classmates’  comments or opinion,  and in that way, teachers realize that students are engaging in the critical thinking process.

The technology usage in the classroom helps to develop students’ new ICTs literacies.  Nowadays, in the schools, a group of technological tools are used to communicate, share, create and save information. For this reason, it is important that both teachers and students have sufficient knowledge of how to handle the use of ICTs tools. When students are proficient enough to use technology, they show it through some characteristics. According to ISTE (2008) “students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior and students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations”. Using technology in the classroom such as the internet, email and other apps can help to develop these skills in students since they have a close relationship with terms and uses of ICTs tools.  In schools, it should be taught computer literacy since computers are the main tool used by teachers and students in the classroom. Simonson, Maurer, Montag-Torardi & Whitaker (1987) define computer literacy as “an understanding of computer characteristics, capabilities, and applications, as well as an ability to implement this knowledge in the skillful and productive use of computer applications suitable to the individual roles in society”.  The importance of developing technical skills in students is growing everyday being that ICT has become a significant part of peoples’ lives. The use of technology in the classroom helps to transform the conventional teaching practices.

 The use of technology in education contributes a lot in the pedagogical aspects in which the application of ICT will lead to effective learning with the help and supports from ICT elements and components (Jamieson-Procter et al., 2013). When students are using technological tools, the learning process is successful due to the fact that teachers are promoting learning through some tools which are more related to students because of the era in which they live. Negroponte, Resnick, and Cassell (1997) argue that:

Digital technologies can enable students to become more active and independent learners. The Internet will allow new ‘‘knowledge-building communities’’ in which children and adults from around the globe can collaborate and learn from each other. Computers will allow students to take charge of their own learning through direct exploration, expression, and experience. This shifts the student’s role from ‘‘being taught’’ to ‘‘learning’’ and the teacher’s role from ‘‘expert’’ to ‘‘collaborator’’ or ‘‘guide’’. 

To sum up, technology usage has some significant advantage in the teaching-learning process due to the fact that it has good benefits for both teachers and students. The implementation of ICTs tools in the classroom has been increased a lot in the 21st century being that these tools have had a great impact on all the educational process. As Ghavifek and Rosdy (2015) said “education system has changed rapidly and this is due to the capability of technology to provide a proactive, easy access and comprehensive teaching and learning environment”. The technology usage brings excellent vantages such as developing students critical and creative thinking skills through communicate ideas, reflect on others’ opinions, or solve problems. Another good benefit is that using technology; students can be more proficient in what all about ICT means but also how to give a good use of it. Finally, transforming the teaching practice is a relevant advantage of using technology since it can change the way in which students learn and it would give a better, successful and effective learning process.

EIGHTH TASK

ESSAY OUTLINE


Question: Is technology useful in the classroom?


Thesis: the incorporation of technology as a pedagogical tool  in the classroom
can be a good strategy for a better teaching-learning process.

INTRODUCTION

Hook/Topic Sentence: "Technology should not be used just because it is available,  but rather, because it will enable teachers and students to reach learning goals that were not obtainable or as easily obtainable without the technology"(Dror, 2008).
 
Background Information: Technology slowly seems to be taking over many aspects of human society. Education has gradually evolved to incorporate technology in the dissemination of information. This advancement has revolutionized the classroom environment leading to improved grades and learning experiences.

Thesis: Technology usage in the classroom provide some advantages for the teaching-learning process such as helping to ensure full students' participation in class activities, giving access to a large amount of information, and helping to create a motivating and exciting way to teach.

BODY (1)

Topic Sentence: Technology helps to ensure full students' participation in class activities.

Supporting Sentence: In class discussions, there are many students who are too shy so they do not participate at all. The use of some platform to make online discussions could encourage these students to share their ideas in a written way.

Opposing Opinion: Lack of technological resources in the classroom, not every student has equal access to it.

Counter-Argument: If there are no so many technological devices for each student. Teachers could incorporate collaborative work and make students do the activities in groups.

BODY (2)

Topic Sentence: Technology gives access to a large amount of information

Supporting Sentence: There is a lot of information about different topics of a certain subject that can increase the students' knowledge.


Opposing Opinion:  Technology can give access to inappropriate content

Counter-Argument: Students could not access inappropriate content if professors play the right role in paying attention to what their students are reading on the internet.


BODY (3)

Topic Sentence: Technology helps to create a motivating and exciting way to teach.

Supporting Sentence: Professors can use technology to make classes better since they can use different apps to develop good activities.

Opposing Opinion: Technology in the classroom can be a distraction.

Counter-Argument: The distraction is not a big problem when the online activities catch students' attention and encourage them to develop them

CONCLUSION: Technology presents many benefits that can help teachers to have a better teaching-learning process with their students since technology is not only the fact of having technological resources or devices but use them for motivating students to develop different activities in the classroom.

SEVENTH TASK

How do you think we could empower our Colombian students to critically spot fake news?

Nowadays, most of the people have access to the internet so they can read every local, national or international news. Of course, it is good, but what it is not so good is the number of sources that show false information. The big problem is that people are taking this information as true. Then, only one person can share this information with many other people. Everybody starts to believe that the information given in these fake news is real. Due to it, professors should empower Colombian students to think critically and know when a news or event is true or false. Students need to develop these critical skills since they are in primary school.

Colombian professors can empower students by:

1. helping them to develop their critical skills. As Brookfield said in his lecture, professors should help students to think critically about everything they read, listen or speak. They need to know how to understand and interpret the information that they get in different sites. Professors can help students using the strategies given by Brookfield such as exposing them to read some material about their context and make them reflect on it, encouraging students to speak and give their opinions, and giving students material to be prepared for debate.

2. encouraging students to think critically, as Giroux said in his lecture, students should critique everything and do not take every single piece of information that they get as absolutely true. The role of the professors is really important in education in terms of making a change in the students' mind in order for them to become aware of their reality around them. Each person needs to raise their voices to make a real change. The professors should give students strategies to make distinctions, to inference, and to comprehend.


3. letting students talk, participate and think. According to Ira Shor. Students should be active in the classroom. professors and students need to have a mutual dialogue. Students have the right to talk and give their opinions about a certain topic without being afraid of what the professor thinks. Professors cannot impose any idea or argument. Students are free for having their own point of view.

SIXTH TASK

"Where is the OUtrage? Critical Pedagogy in Dark Times"

Taking into account the lecture given by Ginoux. The critical pedagogy has a big role and responsibility to make a change in education.  Education needs to be seen in a different way by critical thinkers, pedagogues, and educators. It is necessary that each person start to worry about social issues like education. People need to defend public education and universities having strong arguments to show to those larger corporate and market-driven forces that the education is a really important aspect in a country. But, the bad situation in the public spheres is increasing every day because time goes by and those large corporations are taking the money from the institutions of democracy to invest it in others fields.

The major problem with the education today is that teachers are not helping to develop critical thinking in students. They are not preparing them for life in terms of reflecting on social problems and problem-solving. Teachers make students learn about topics that they need just for a subject or some knowledge to be evaluated through paper-pencil exams. It has brought problems to students since they are being easily manipulated. Teachers have to empower students to defend what they think or believe.

Each person needs to raise their voices to go against everything that wants to create these social classes which every time are stronger and divided the society between those ones who are rich and the ones who are poor. The inequality is bigger and there are more adults, young people, and children who are going through difficult situations due to economic factors. We have to do something to defend the rights of each person. Everybody needs to understand that society needs a change and together we can contribute to do it.

FIFTH TASK

STEREOTYPES

There are many stereotypes about Colombian people, and most of us are really tired of listening to them. Since many years ago, people from different countries have had a wrong image about Colombians and even Colombian people believe that these stereotypes are true. We are surrounded by stereotypes and we tell and listen to them many times that they become part of us. Time goes by and these stereotypes get stronger and more credible.

Stereotypes are divided into two, we can find bad and good ones but unfortunately, the bad ones are the majority. The stereotypes classify people according to their characteristics, personalities, nationalities, behaviors or ways of thinking.

In Colombia, there is a large number of stereotypes that defined some groups of people like in other countries. people around the world have stereotypes about Colombians which are annoying to listen to them such as that all the Colombians are drug dealers. I think that people who believe it are wrong because they cannot say something about an entire country just because a minority of people do it. Another stereotype which I really hate is that every Colombian is on drugs, but some investigations show that there are more people who consume drugs in other countries than in Colombia. Some years ago, I found one of the most ridiculous stereotypes that foreigners have about Colombia. It was that there are guerrillas and paramilitaries everywhere in Colombia. They are afraid of coming here and being kidnapped or murdered because according to their opinions Colombia is the most dangerous country. Finally,  a stereotype that I have heard is that one about that football is the only sport that Colombians are good at. I can say that they are totally wrong because, in Colombia, we have excellent athletes from different sports such as Nairo Quintana, Mariana Pajon and Caterine Ibarguen. 

A stereotype about Colombians which I think it is just a myth is the one about that everyone is a professional salsa dancer, it is not true. There are many people who are not good at dancing in our country. We also can find stereotypes for people from different regions in Colombia. For instance; people believe that "opitas" are lazy. costeños are happy, they are considered to be cool people but also they are thought to be lazy and corrupt. paisas are known to be very social people. But I think these stereotypes are not right because we cannot say something in a general way because there are many people in a community with different personalities, custom, ways of thinking.

To sum up, I think stereotypes are not a good way to classify people into different groups since each person has different characteristics. Due to it, most of these stereotypes give a wrong image of a person or a country since they are not true. Unfortunately, these stereotypes are stronger now. Finally, one of the difficult issues about stereotypes is how to deal with them. We need to be patience since people are not getting the right information. So, we have to share the real information about us as a Colombians.

FOURTH TASK

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

The critical thinking skills that I found in the opinion column"Should Chimpanzees Be Considered ‘Persons’?  are:

Description

"chimpanzees can recognize themselves in a mirror, communicate through sign language, pursue goals creatively and form long-lasting friendships"

Agreement

"In response, the Nonhuman Rights Project is taking a bold position: It is arguing that if every being must be either a person or a thing, then Kiko and Tommy are persons, not things. I agree, and many other philosophers do, too"

Explanation

"The idea of nonhuman personhood might seem confusing at first since we tend to use the terms “human” and “person” interchangeably. But they are not equivalent. “Human” is best understood as a biological concept that refers, at present, to a member of a particular species, Homo sapiens. In contrast, “person” is best understood as a moral and legal concept that refers to an individual who can hold moral and legal rights"

THIRD TASK

Stephen Brookfield on Creative & Critical Thinking

It is really important to help students to develop or improve their critical and creative thinking being that they need to have the ability to question others' assumption and their own, also they need to create new ideas or positions about a certain topic.

what is critical thinking?  Professor Brookfield always explains critical thinking as a process by which a person becomes aware of the assumptions that frame the way they think and they make sure that they are accurate, finally we need to prepare to take informed action.

Also, he said that someone who thinks creatively is able to:1. View ideas and practices from many points and do not think in the same way as they always do it. So,  they can generate interpretations, perspectives, and responses that are different. 2.  Communicate in different ways.

I think it is necessary to think in a critical way since we need to know how to respond to others´opinions or perspectives. Even, we have to know how to give our opinions or arguments with good and strong reasons.

Professor  Brookfield also spoke about what a critically and creatively informed action is: 
One based on evidence or experience that can be justified.
One that has its assumptions known and checked.
One that stands a chance of achieving its intended consequence that has been viewed from multiple perspectives.

Later, he explained the kinds of Assumptions which are :
1. causal: to explain a sequence of events 
2. prescriptive: to know how things should happen
3. paradigmatic: a kind of common sense taking from granted

For me, a good part of the lecture was when the professor Brookfield explained the four key intellectual traditions because I think we need to know these in order to start to develop our critical thinking skills. these intellectual traditions are:
1. Analytic Philosophy: logical fallacies, argument analysis, inductive, deductive, analogical, inferential reasoning

2. Natural Science: hypothetical/deductive method, a principle of falsifiability.

3. Critical Theory: uncovering power dynamics and ideological manipulation

4. Pragmatism: an experimental and creative pursuit of beautiful consequences. For example democracy, inclusion, connection. 

Although these four key intellectual traditions are relevant to our process of critical thinking.  In our course, critical thinking, the professor Insuasty told us that we are going to work with the critical theory and analytic philosophy.

Finally, the professor Brookfield gave some techniques that teachers can use to encourage students to develop their critical thinking skills. These techniques were: giving appropriate material to students related to their own context, encouraging students to speak and to give their opinions, and sending materials to your students in order for them to be prepared.