April Burton-EDTECH541

     As a Google Certified Trainer, I work with teachers of all grade levels and content areas to learn to harness the power of Google Docs, Slides and Sheets in teaching the necessary digital literacy skills that today's students must have.  Whether teaching first graders how to present research or high school students how compose a five paragraph essay complete with parenthetical documentation, the tools found within the Google Suite for Education makes collaboration seamless and saves both teachers and students valuable time, while also providing a foundation for digital literacy that transcends into college and career readiness (Google for Education, n.d.).     According to the SAMR model, developed by Dr. Rubin Puentedura, the use of word processing tools such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs serve as a substitution for the hand-written essay.  When used solely for composing written assignments, these tools do not offer any "profound transformatio...

Back in 2017, I specifically remember reading the 2017 Horizon Report (Educause) and being somewhat in disbelief of the projection that artificial intelligence would begin to find its way into the teaching and learning environment. At the time, I was surprised to read about how AI was used to teach preservice teachers, and provide a personalized pace for lessons based on the timing of student responses. The “best use scenarios” of educational technology as predicted by the 2017 Horizon report put students at the center of learning, as they worked with technology to collaborate, create, and connect with others. It was also in this report that we saw an emphasis on computational thinking and STEM-focused instruction, specifically in the area of computer science. As suggested by Hughes and Roblyer (2022), current adoptions of computer science curriculum continue to support students’ ability to think critically and problem-solve. While the use of AI in the classroom has evolved since ...

Mission Support educators to build on their effectiveness to create a learning environment where all students succeed.  Vision All students deserve to be in classrooms where effective educators strive to prepare them to succeed in an increasingly digital world. All learners deserve opportunities to develop proficiency in the skills necessary to succeed in a global society: critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity (Blair, 2012).  Technology, when intentionally integrated into the learning environment, offers students: Multi-modal content to meet their individual needs Transformative, active learning experiences that allow for autonomy A variety of digital experiences in order to develop digital literacy  Real-time data in order to make informed decisions Learning theories range from teacher-directed to student-centered experiences and call upon technology integration for a variety of purposes. Technology can be used to strengthen knowledge-based un...