Reimagining Technology and K-12 Education in 2020

For any teacher, parent, or student in America today, it has become clear that the world of K-12 education is encountering a reckoning. Teachers deciding between in-person instruction or online learning feel like they are rolling the dice on an uncertain future. Parents and students are concerned with the apathy and slowed progress that may accompany online learning. It is likely that whatever happens, no party will be completely satisfied with the outcome.

As a high school English teacher transitioning into Flatiron School’s software engineering program, I have been reflecting on how technology can enhance and enrich — rather than simply duplicate — the in-person aspect of learning. Additionally, I believe that within the current crisis in education, there is an opportunity to reflect on the aspects of education that are ineffective and to reimagine how technology can help students learn in meaningful ways.

Speaking from the perspective of a former teacher who transitioned to distance learning in April 2020, one of the aspects of in-person instruction I missed the most was interacting with students: the lively group discussions and the ability to quickly help individual students. I lost much of that when distance learning started. I was no longer able to see student faces if their videos were turned off, and it was more difficult to maintain a natural flow to a class discussion.

Given the fact that many school systems are now reverting back to distance learning plans, it is important that they invest in creating a robust distance learning system with technology that not only recreates the best aspects of in-person learning, but also provides additional tools for teachers to craft lessons that meet student needs.

Based on my reflections on distance learning, here are some areas for improvement or enhancement:

Security

On the first day of distance learning in April, many teachers and students in our school system had to endure security breaches that plagued their online classrooms. Since a teacher had one Blackboard Collaborate link for all five of their classes, anyone with the link could enter the class. This led to anonymous users logging in with inappropriate usernames and posting disruptive or offensive comments in the chat.

The solution that the school system came up with was less than optimal. It required each teacher having to manually input each student’s name and school email address into Blackboard Collaborate. While this did ensure some level of security, it was not the most efficient solution, particularly for teachers who had over a hundred students to input into the system. Students could also still share their links with others.

An improved system might link student’s Blackboard Collaborate accounts with their school accounts. In this way, a user would only be able to access the Blackboard Collaborate accounts if they logged in to the individual student’s network account.

Data Collection

One of the most important aspects of teaching is gathering data from students and tailoring instruction to students’ strengths and weaknesses. Technology has the capacity to quickly collect student data on assignments and provide very quick feedback for the teacher on students’ progress.

An example of a website with data collection is NoRedInk.com. Students practice grammar skills and take subsequent quizzes. Teachers are able to quickly glance at the data and see who has mastered a concept and who needs improvement.

Tools for Collaboration

Collaboration among students is one of the crucial best practices in education. Technology can help to facilitate this collaboration even if students are not meeting in person. In addition to breakout rooms in Blackboard Collaborate or Zoom, there can also be other ways for students to learn by being in conversation with each other. Google Classroom allows for students to work together on a Google Doc, and there are apps where students can work together to annotate poetry or other texts (e.g. genius.com). How can technology creators translate essential classroom collaborative activities (debates, seminars, small group-work) into web applications?

Automation of Time-Intensive Tasks

Aside from teaching lessons, teachers perform many additional tasks outside the classroom, such as grading and lesson planning. The more that technology can reduce the burden of grading and assessing for teachers, the better they will be able to focus their attention on their students. For example, if a teacher were grading 120 papers and wanted to check for plagiarism among students, it would be an arduous and time-intensive task to find matching papers. Technology that checked for plagiarism among student submissions would free up time for teachers to devote their attention to more essential duties.

Conclusion

Going forward in the Flatiron School program, I am looking forward to reflecting on ways that technology can create a more seamless transition between in-person instruction to blended or distance learning.