A Personal Philosophy of Technology in Education

Summary of Technology’s Purpose in Education

The purpose of technology in education is to support teachers, students, and administrators in their educational processes in a manner that leads to positive learning outcomes. Technology is an integral part of today’s educational system because technology is prolific in the economic, political, and entertainment systems of the entire world. Students must be prepared to use technology if they are to succeed within those broader systems. As technology ever more rapidly evolves through the development of quantum computers and artificial intelligence applications, it becomes increasingly important that students are prepared for a political world which will be radically different from that inhabited by generations previous. International and regional security partners such as NATO cite quantum technology and AI as, “emerging technology whose potential applications might enable Allies to extend their warfighting capabilities” (NATO, 2022). Technology resources, systems, and processes must be leveraged for the education of students who will occupy the spaces created by the development of technologies heretofore unimagined (Hughes & Roblyer, 2022). Teachers have a professional obligation to include technology in their curriculum so that students have opportunities to be challenged using, “computational thinking to innovate and solve problems” (ISTE, 2023). Student learning is positively impacted by educational technology as students feel the empowerment of freedom which comes from access to information. The agency students derive from accessing information autonomously through technology serves to motivate them to positive academic outcomes.

Biblical Defense of Technology in Education

The scriptures teach that we are to be, “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (English Standard Bible, 2001, Matthew 10:16). It is our responsibility as teachers to prepare our students for the myriad challenges which they will face in this world. Technology will be inextricably tied up with many of the challenges which our students will come across in their daily lives and it is our responsibility as educators to include technology in our curriculum. We are responsible for teaching our students how to navigate the online and social media spaces in which our students live and move. They will be like sheep among wolves, and we ought to teach them the safe and responsible use of technology. If we do not teach technology in the classroom, then they will be ignorant and vulnerable in the world.

“We aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight, but also in the sight of man” (English Standard Bible, 2001, 2 Corinthians 8:21). International educational systems have adopted beneficial best practices in educational technology. Insofar as the systems are doing what is beneficial and do not violate God’s law, then we ought to pursue mastery of those systems before the eyes of our fellow man. It is good for Christian educators to have an excellent reputation as professionals who pursue best practices by “actively participating in local and global learning networks” and empowering students through “learning with technology” (ISTE, 2023).

When the children of Abraham were about to leave their exile in the wilderness and enter the promised land, the LORD spoke to Joshua and said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (English Standard Bible, 2001, Joshua 1:9). This verse promises that God is with us wherever we go. The LORD is with us even in the virtual spaces which inhabit technology. The LORD is ruler over every space in this universe whether it is political, cultural, or technological. It is our responsibility as educators for Christ to lead our students into the bold, new spaces of technology in education.

Classroom Application

My approach to technology in my classroom is to integrate it as much as possible. Students are integrating technology into their social lives through group chat and social sharing applications like Tik-Tok, their extra-curricular time is scheduled through platforms such as athletic.net or arbiter.com, and many students have after school or summer jobs which integrate technology. Since students are not allowed to have cell phones on campus, they are engaged when technology such as YouTube or Chromebooks are introduced to a lesson. I often assign project-based learning which utilizes technology so that students get to feel a social aspect in their learning. Technology is prolific in my students lives and I want to leverage it as much as possible in the classroom.

References

Dohn, N.B., Markausite, L. Hachmann, R. (2020). Enhancing knowledge transfer. In Bishop, M.J., Boling, E., Elen, J & Svihla, V. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (5th ed., pp. 73-96). Routledge.

English Standard Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/

Hughes, J.E., & Roblyer, M.D. (2022). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (9th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9780137544622

ISTE. (2023). ISTE Standards: Educators. https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-teachers

NATO. (2022, October 14). NATO exploring quantum technology for future challenges.https://www.act.nato.int/articles/nato-exploring-quantum-technology-future-challenges