… please be sure to read the Zhao et al article and visit Dr. Zhao’s website: http://zhaolearning.com/

As a prediction before viewing, in what ways do you imagine he will describe the role of technology in education?

“We’re talking about 1:1 today; we were talking about 1:1 ten years ago.”

This made me think about the aspects of technology that move slower than we would like—sometimes agonizingly slow. In my own area of research for this class, I think collaborative tools is one of those things. There are some amazing real-time collaborative tools out there, but most digital collaboration in my institution happens the same way it did ten years or even twenty years ago—emailing attached files. This is one of the frustrations you have if you’re the one trying to implement new technology.

On Common Core: “…the concept itself constrains the power of technology.”

… consider Dr. Zhao’s point: “Most technology products have nothing to do with education; they all have to do with teaching and instruction, which forces people to acquire the same things. Which, of course, can cause serious problems.”

What are the implications of this statement? In what ways does Dr. Zhao frame his definition of “educational technology?” How does this definition align with (or push against) the types of “innovation” that we need teachers to engage in?

Technology changes, which changes the economy, and the economy “redefines the value of talents.” Dr. Zhao uses the examples of literacy rates and email of talents that have increased in value. I would add examples of talents that are less important now thanks to technology: mental mathematical computation, memorization, and legible handwriting. I think we’ve all seen that when the value of certain talents decrease, they are often removed from the curriculum. I’ve seen people get fighting mad when lamenting the disappearance of cursive handwriting.

This leads into the conversation about creative talent, where he uses Grand Theft Auto as an example. The field of videogames is one that uses technical expertise and artistic expertise, opening opportunities that weren’t available 50 years ago.

In the next few minutes, you will hear Dr. Zhao describe changes in schooling from the industrial revolution to the modern economy.

Consider the argument that he is making about automation, globalization, and the effects on the middle class.

Then, consider the ways in which (many) educational technologies function and how they do (or do not) students and teachers as knowledge creators.

In what ways do the technologies that we use encourage, allow, or entice us to be innovators? What effects do these technologies have on our contexts for teaching and learning?

In this segment, you will hear Dr. Zhao discussing “The New Middle Class,” consider the point from his article:

“One of the important ingredients to the successful integration of innovative uses of technology in schools is the teacher. Teachers vary on a wide range of qualities and attributes, some of which appear to be particularly relevant when discussing technology integration in classrooms. We found that the way an individual’s pedagogical beliefs interacted with the technology they know and decide to use affected the likelihood of successful technology integration.”

How are we preparing teachers to be creative? To be creators? What do we need to consider about the role of teacher education and professional development in an education system that, unfortunately, doesn’t encourage or reward creativity?

As Dr. Zhao closes his talk, consider his ideas of the new paradigm:

1) Every child should have personalized learning (and ed tech is the best way to do this)

2) Product-oriented learning (not project-oriented learning)

3) Education must happen in a globalized context

Return to the conditions for technology innovation and consider how any one of the eleven elements could be tweaked or changed in order to enact this paradigm shift.

If you were able to work on just one element (for instance, helping to change teacher’s perceptions on “knowledge of technology and its enabling conditions”), what might you do in order to meet 1, 2, or all 3 elements of this new paradigm?