Disruptive Classroom Technologies - Book Review Example

The current world is experiencing a disrupting duration as a result of digital technology. Digital technology has brought about immense changes in almost every sphere of life. Considering that, educators need to embrace and come up with enhanced learning tools and processes to better prepare the learners for professional and social success in the coming years. For that to occur, the national education system channeled vast amount of resources to digitize classrooms. Learning institutions on their part have aggressively undertaken to train tutors on the use of the technology in addition to purchasing the equipment. Nevertheless, the outcome is minimal despite the consulted effort in ensuring the investment yields results. Despite the constant hype on the supposed impact of digital learning, the effects on the ground do not add up. Conversely, the overall impact technology has had seems to be spiraling downwards. In understanding the issue better, an example would be an analysis of the John Hatties size measurement. After a review of about one hundred and sixty meta-analyses of nearly ten thousand studies, the average impact of technology stood at a paltry 0.34. The number has not changed for over half a Century, and it falls below the expected average of 0.4. The state of affairs is due to the manner in which technology has maintained a rigid framework in its application. An overhaul of the current practice would guarantee profound results.

The book Disruptive Classroom Technologies: A Framework for Innovation in Education by Sonny Magana, gives a solution that would best solve the integration of technology with education. What is more, it provides examples of the use of technology in the T3 framework and activities that stimulate the learner and deepen their use of technology to higher levels (Magana, 2017). Also, there is the self-assessment provision to enable tracking of the progress towards achievement of the goals. The author undertook an extensive research of the problem of advancing technology and innovation in education. The primary purpose that would enhance the realization of the target is in using the T3 framework for change in education as a lens of examining schools and the schooling system.

The structure is an evidence-based model that increments technology usage in schools through three distinct stages. The phases include T1: Transitional, T2: Transformational and T3: Transcendent (Magana, 2017). Currently, there are two dominant approaches used to guide educational settings, and they include TPACK (Technology, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge) and SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition). TPACK came into existence in the late 1990s with the aim of enhancing the significance of technological knowledge as equivalent to pedagogical and content knowledge. However, there is a challenge in that the models do not elucidate the way to achieve technical change. Thus, there is an objective, but it lacks a pathway. Similar to TPACK, SAMR proposes goals but no way in realizing them. SAMR recognizes four distinct levels of interaction between tasks and tools (Magana, 2017). Nonetheless, educators spend a considerable amount of time analyzing the approaches in context to teaching and learning. The two models are stagnant and do not provide a significant contribution to the learning process.

On average, the effects of technology on learning have consistently been minimal. The situation is mainly brought about by how technological tools get used which are not instructional. According to Magana (2017), the devices are primarily used to automate the many non-instructional duties that tutors perform on a frequent basis. They include reporting, grading, using emails for communication, creating documents and planning for instructions. Nonetheless, despite the functions being fundamental to the running of the school, they do not correlate to teaching. Of the numerous variables affecting students achievement, a crucial one is the capacity of the learning process to evolve and frequently manage change. The quality of instruction in a classroom directly relates to the ability to identify instructional strategies impacting student achievement. There is a sequence in place that ultimately determines and evaluates the learning experience.

When students initially interact with new content, they have to familiarize with the knowledge. The learning stage is known as the surface learning where students first get exposed to superficial tests and vocabulary describing their new content (Magana, 2017). Next, they practice and deepen their comprehension of the knowledge. At the stage, a connection gets obtained between previous and present skills. Later on, the learner generates inferences and deductions based on the experience acquired. It is the most cognitive and challenging phase but also the most rewarding.

In the T3 model, the initial step is building a collective efficacy process within an organization meant to embrace a common language for growth and innovation. The book provides a learning system that is common and an actionable language. Also, it enables an undertaking and measuring assessment that determines the impact of innovative teaching and learning practices with readily available technologies. Magana (2017) begins by introducing and providing a pathway based on substantial evidence and factual research and theory. They promote the educational use of technology in unleashing students boundless potential and maximum capabilities. The mode of implementation is on an incremental basis.

In the transformational technology, the system reflects on the most frequent use of technological tools in learning institutions. Translating the content from analog to digital is of much significance and importance. It adds value regarding enhancing accuracy, time-saving, and efficiency. Some of the altered tasks include automating teaching tasks such as grading, attendance taking, consuming information from online content and resources, and testing (Magana, 2017). The other explained duties include administrative functions related to the learning facilities. The stage is meant to be the initial phase but in most instances learning institutions, they complete the process there hence eliminating vital steps.

Transformational technology entails using while, on the other hand, enacting changes. Alterations get made in the learning process plus students performing the tasks. The phase involves a domain that tries to nature a mastery mindset through growing mastery goals and then carefully monitoring the impact of their effort and progress towards the objectives (Magana, 2017). Furthermore, learners get offered multiple opportunities to make use of the digital tools to represent what they know and can achieve. Also, it makes their thinking process explicit as they can make contributions to others learning. That depicts the importance of the stage. An illustration of implementing the phase includes the creation of tutorials. They form an integral part as they empower students to explore new concepts. Also, they enable learners to share knowledge with their peers thereby creating a favorable learning environment.

In the present times, it sounds awkward to ask a student on what they wish to become in their future lives. What is currently essential is the problems they see around them and how they think of solving them. Regarding that, in addition to enhancing maximum growth in the learners cognitive abilities, transcendent technology pushes past the limits of prior expectations and experiences for education. Some of the strategies used in the domain of the transcendent technology include hypothesizing, investigating and iteratively coming up with more solid solutions to problems that matter to them (Magana, 2017). The circumstance represents a whole new experience and domain of strategies that can only realize when learners integrate digital and cloud-based production technologies. That forms just the initial stage when it comes to understanding student's capabilities when tremendous passion and purpose combine in an educational environment.

Despite the revelation, it is evident that the conventional learning practice will continue. Teachers would keep emphasizing to their learners the significance of knowledge and the bright ones would memorize it with the aim of reporting it correctly. The dominant tell and practice model will proceed. The effectiveness of the education system would continue getting measured through tests that intend to gauge skills but in reality measure the precise recitation of knowledge (Magana, 2017). In the future, new methods would arise that would create an entirely different learning surrounding. There is almost the prediction that machines would play an integral role. Technological advancements would be on another level all aiming to bring about the best in the student (Magana, 2017). New approaches would result on how to solve problems and tackle challenges among other innovative ways. The methods would nature and make sure the learner becomes an active consumer of knowledge to build their innate desires for interdependent creativity.

In conclusion, technology is an essential aspect of the educational process. Its benefits can only be realized when correctly implemented and integrated. Failure to recognize that would be detrimental as the technology would be of no significance.

Reference

Magana, S. (2017). Disruptive classroom technologies: A framework for innovation in education.