Jong. H. Chung's "Integrating Technology into the Classroom"

Jong. H. Chung wrote a paper for the Master Teacher Program, titled, “Integrating Technology into the Classroom.” His paper focuses upon the technological change that is happening in the educational field.

Historical Background

Chung identifies the early appearances of technology and how they have changed over the years. First, he mentions visual aids, such as films, pictures, and lantern slides. Next, motion pictures, radio, television, VCRs, computers, and the Internet happened. He cites many important historical figures whom claimed that the field of education would soon change, due to technology. His argument shifts to the present, where he claims that the Internet and computers in the classroom have become more apparent.

Motivation

In the text, Chung states, “Nonprofit and governmental organizations have been actively proposing guidelines for using technology in the classroom.” He mentions several organizations that support these notions. Most of these apply to K-12 classrooms. Almost all educators propose for technology to be used in the classroom. Therefore, most opinions differ. One opinion is to adopt the technology to improve teaching and learning. Another opinion is to take on a constructivist approach. The constructivist educators want students to manipulate technology in order to promote learning. The constructivist approach is very student-centered and focuses more upon collaborative work, informational exchange, and collaborative work.

Classroom Technology Examples

Chung provides several examples of classroom technology. One includes an interactive whiteboard. It works with a computer and enables a teacher to use touch sensors on the screen and projects the writing onto the screen. Some other examples include:

Classroom Management Software projects the student’s screen onto the classroom using a wireless network. This allows the instructor to maintain control of students’ assignments and keep order in the classroom. It provides direction and makes sure the students stay on task.

Student Response System (or clickers) allow students to respond to questions in class, without letting others know their answer. This is usually a transmitter or a remote control type unit. The students ‘click’ or vote for their answer option, and the answer is usually broadcast on a screen for the class to see. This provides immediate feedback for the class, as well as review. For classes with larger groups of students, the Student Response System enables the instructor to check answers while being more efficient with time and organization.

Chung also mentions several other examples, including a Weblog, a Wiki, an RSS feed, Multimedia Publishing, and Robots.

Concerns In the Text

Chung also addresses some concerns that could arise from integrating technology in the classroom. Some of these include unwilling teachers, technology dependency, and lack of skills, copyright violations, the digital divide and others. Chung combats some of these concerns, stating, “Technology in the classroom is not just about deploying or buying and installing the technology for instruction, but encompassing the deployment and appropriately adapting to the new technology enabled educational environment.”

Favored Recommendations

Some of my favorite recommendations that he includes are being patient and planning ample time when integrating technology in the classroom. During my experience at the University of Tennessee, nothing has been a bigger pain than when a Powerpoint won’t load on the computer. Thankfully, most instructors take extra time to allow us to prepare and find the means necessary to make the technology work. In return, this has made me respect my instructors a lot more since they try to accommodate students.

Another recommendation I like is to educate new users on the copyright laws and fair use guidelines. I believe this is vital to using technology and is not as widely talked about as it needs to be. Most people are not well informed on these laws. Additionally, images and documents help to enhance a lesson. Therefore, it is important that teachers understand these laws when they try to use these materials.

Lastly, I like the recommendation that it needs to be a gradual change when using technology. It is a learning experience for everyone. Most people will take some time to adjust to using the new equipment. It is important for teachers to know this because others may move at a different pace than others. It is okay to not understand it at first- that is the point of teaching and learning!

Copy Right and Fair Use and its Importance in Education

In today's field of education, technology has become an integral part of the classroom. During instruction, teachers use presentation slides on a whiteboard, which can sometimes involve videos or pictures from the Internet. Additionally, many teachers use the Internet to post ideas or lessons from their classrooms. While this provides teachers with many opportunities to see what happens in other classrooms, some material may be protected under copyright. As teachers, it is important for us to be knowledgeable about what is protected under copyright because it limits what we may be able to use in the classroom.

What is copyright?

According to University of Maryland University College’s website, copyright “is a legal device that provides the creator of a work of art or literature, or a work that conveys information or ideas, the right to control how the work is used” (Fishman, 2008, p. 6). Some people’s work may be limited in its use. To recognize what might be copyright, it is vital to know what is not considered copyright. Any verbal expression that is not written down or recorded cannot be considered copyright. Additionally, ideas or works in the public domain cannot be copyrighted. These are made accessible to the public; therefore, they are not protected under copyright law. Words, short phrases, and slogans cannot be copyrighted, although they may be protected under trademark law. Lastly, government works cannot be copyrighted, as well.

In order to be copyrighted, there are three requirements:

• The work or expression must be fixed in some way. It can be posted on a presentation or written on a website.
• The work or expression must be original. It could be a teacher’s unique lesson or student’s letter to a teacher. 
• The work or expression must be creative.

Copyright protects author’s works. It provides the right to

• Sell or distribute copies of the work.
• Prepare new works based on the protected work.
• Make copies of the work.
• Perform the protected work. 

What is fair use?

Fair use limits the copyrighted work’s rights. It enables users to manipulate some of the work based upon reasoning. Teachers must decide upon certain factors when attempting to use a copyrighted work. Some of these factors include:

•  Is the work original or a copy?
• Does the work offer something unique?
• Is the use for educational purposes?
• Is the work published or unpublished?
• Is the work out of print?
• Is the work factual or artistic?

The less a teacher uses or the more factual or educational the work, the more likely it would be considered fair use. Teachers should avoid copying a whole book, copying the same book and using it year after year, or copying and using the same materials for different courses. If teachers want to obtain permission to use copyrighted material, they should contact the school’s library or a local library. More information about the T.E.A.C.H. Act can be found on the University of Maryland University College's website, and can be useful when determining how to approach using educational material.

Material has become very easy to manipulate in recent years, thanks to technology. It is essential for teachers to be aware of both copyright and fair use because at some point in instruction, teachers will want to use outside resources for their lessons. Plagiarism should always be avoided, especially with teachers. As the old saying goes, “We must always practice what we preach.” Therefore, copyright and fair use must be kept in mind when aiming to use outside resources. No teacher wants to be caught plagiarizing or be caught in a lawsuit due to the material used.

Award Winning Blog Review: Will Richardson's Blog

 

In 2001, Will Richardson decided to take his teaching to the web. He started his own blog over the musings of his teachings. Will Richardson is relatable to his audience because he bases his blog upon the different aspects of his life- his role as a parent and his role as an educator. He has visited over 15 countries, written six books, became published in numerous newspapers, journals, and magazines, and was a public school teacher for 22 years. 

Richardson’s blog is successful because he challenges his audience’s thinking. Although many of his blog posts contain his own thoughts about education, he also invokes a lot of reflection. A lot of Richardson’s posts ask tantalizing questions about the future. In the post, “The De-Construction Crew,” he asks his audience, “If you were building a new school from scratch, would your beliefs about how kids learn lead you to separate them out by age? Would you teach a standardized curriculum assessed by standardized tests? Would those things hew to your beliefs?” As a future educator, I appreciate these kinds of questions because they are the ones we don’t really think about. I believe that we are too focused on the “here-and-now” instead of how we can excel and push forward the field of education. He even talks about how after years of teaching, the direction that the education field was going ("the Web 2.0") is what led him to blogging. He supports technological education, but also goes further into depth about the future of education. Richardson’s blog incites and inspires its audience. It is very easy to see how Richardson is also a motivational speaker because his use of rhetorical questions and powerful incentives challenge his audience. He talks about the current issues in the education field and enables his audience to step outside of the comfort zone and ask ourselves what we should be changing and how we should be changing it. 

Additionally, I think the fact that he plays a “down-to-earth” role in his blog attracts his audience and pulls him in. Richardson’s blog also contains humorous posts; one includes him jokingly creating a concept called “Tinder-Ed.” Richardson’s well-rounded personality combined with his provocative posts make this a worthy read for any future educator.