Using new devices to get to new learning.
Technology available to schools, and applications for that technology to student learning are constantly changing. What is far more essential to schools than the hardware in the building are the ways available technologies are being used to to true learning for students. With the importance of technology to school and district goals and outcomes, it is essential to ensure that the use of technology is not ‘entertainment time’ but rather opportunities to expand skills and develop new learning using technology effectively. This ability of students to connect and engage with learning outcomes as opposed to rehearsal exercises and flashy games needs to be the crux of the conversation in educational technology. When we get to discussions about real and effective learning instead of simply ‘engagement,’ technology will begin to make more sense as effective tools to be highly valued in schools.