Technology, when used correctly, is transparent in education today. There are a multitude of ways in which technology helps to develop higher order thinking and problem solving skills in students. When implemented correctly in the school system these skill sets should be fundamentally inherent in all students. It is the responsibility of the teahcers to make sure that the students are introduced at a young age to technology and that it is interwoven in their classroom instuction beginning in pre-school. Teachers must guide students in developing problem solving skills and then let the students use technology to find solutions. Technology does not replace the teacher, but it should be a part of the cirriculum preparing students for the future. Throughout time teachers have helped students develop higher order thinking and problem solving skills. Today the landscape for learning these skills has changed for the better through the help of technology.
In the business world, where I have spent the majority of the past seven years, technology is simply the way that business functions. Many older workers had to learn technology later in life and many still struggle to stay up to date since technology was never a part of their core education. The business world will continue to evolve and change with technology and since today's students are integrated in the technological world from the time they are born they will be much more advanced than many in careers today. Additionally, new job titles are being added daily with every change and discovery in the technological field. Many of today's first graders will eventually have jobs that are currently not in existence. By developing higher order thinking and problem solving skills through technology children are better equipped for the future.
In order for teachers to aid children with the skills necessary to function in the world today they need to understand the skills themselves. People like Lorrie Jackson, the Coordinator of Instructional Technology at Lausanne Collegiate School, have dedicated their careers to exploring ways that technology fits in the classroom and then educating other educators. Resources, such as the Education World Techtorials, are available for teahers to discover how to integrate technology in the classroom. A star teacher will utilize resources such as this to equip themselves with fresh ideas for their classroom.
Another resource available to aid educators is the Teacher Tap website. Bloom's Taxonomy involving Critical and Creative Thinking is examined on this site. This Taxonomy, although developed in 1956, is still relevant today. Within the cognitive domain, Bloom identified six levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The internet, and other technological resources help students to gain knowlege, comprehend all sorts of material, apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to the knowlege they gain, analyze the data they find and evaluate their overall research and findings. Thirty years ago student resources were confined to books, encyclopedias and periodicals that were always out of date. Current technology allows students to have multiple resouces that are constantly updated.
Technology is an integral part of learning and can be applied to every subject in order to develop higher order thinking and problem solving skills. The videos that we watched before class last week demonstrated many ways in which students are developing these skills in the classroom. As teachers continue to learn so will students and it is important that teachers contiune to develop creative and new ways to use technology and the many resources available to them. With the availability of web resources it is more important than ever that students are able to think and solve problems on their own. Information is available at our fingertips and it is those that are adept at using this information that will ultimately be successful.
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