Consider any technology and evaluate its effectiveness by using any 3 aspects of Bates’ SECTIONS model.

The Google platform was a great tech resource to use as a teaching and learning tool. Bates points out the importance of teaching an increasingly diverse range of students. The Google platform made it easy to differentiate for grade 4 students, which allowed for an equitable learning tool that was accessible for all. Students could access from home and more importantly, it was privacy protected and school board approved. From a pedagogical point of view, the applications (docs, slides, drawings, classroom, and presentation) made it easy to engage students with their learning from a behaviourist, cognitivist, constructivist, and connectivist perspectives. As well, it made it efficient to meet curriculum expectations. In the school board I worked in, all schools have at least one Chromebook cart and relatively reliable Internet access. Therefore, the level of interaction and sustainability were feasible because most teachers are familiar with the Google platform themselves, and students looked forward to using the Chromebooks – reciprocal self-efficacy engaged.

As a current or future educator, how do you deal with student’s preference for different technologies?

I have said this time and time again, and it should be the mantra of every teacher – assessment drives instruction. In today’s diverse educational climate, understanding your students both personally and academically should be taken into consideration. From experience, when teaching elementary school students, they do not quite understand which technologies and applications they would like to use from a teaching and learning perspective. Yes, they can determine which games they enjoy playing and try to convince you about how “educational” they are, but in meeting curriculum expectations, their knowledge is limited. Therefore, they key is to be willing to try technology with your students and ask for their feedback. Seeing as how students today have been raised with tech being a part of their lives, they are a great resource to utilize.

References

Bates, A.W. (2019). Teaching in a digital age [DX Reader version]. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/