Technology has transformed our lives. Virtually every school and classroom is connected. Why then, has it not transformed education? Consider these five ways educators can begin to optimize classroom technology and rethink its use.
- See technology as a complement rather than a replacement
- Embrace its creation potential over consumption function
- Encourage design and personalized learning over standards and outcomes
- Celebrate the journey toward digital competence over curriculum improvement
- Focus on tech-pedagogy over product usage
Learn how to let technology cultivate student autonomy, creativity, and responsibility while focusing on lessons that hone higher-order and critical thinking skills.
Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas and a professor in Educational Leadership at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in Australia. He previously served as the Presidential Chair, Associate Dean, and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. Prior to Oregon, Yong Zhao was University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and a fellow of the International Academy of Education.
Gaoming Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Indianapolis. She teaches educational psychology and educational technology courses in undergraduate and graduate programs. Her research interests include technology integration, teacher preparation, and comparative education. Her work has appeared in On the Horizon, the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Educause Review, and the International Encyclopedia of Education.
Jing Lei is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Syracuse University. Dr. Lei’s scholarship focuses on how information and communication technology can help prepare a new generation of citizens for a globalizing and digitizing world. Specifically, her research interests include technology integration in schools, the social-cultural and psychological impact of technology, e-learning, emerging technologies for education, and teacher technology preparation. Her recent publications include Handbook of Asian Education: A Cultural Perspective (2011, Routledge) and The Digital Pencil: One-to-One Computing for Children (2008, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates publishers).
Wei Qiu is an instructional designer and adjunct faculty at Webster University. She received a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology from Michigan State University. Her research interests include using technology to enhance students’ learning experience, second language education, and global competency development.
