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Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies (Best Practices in Online Teaching and Learning)

by Michelle Pacansky-brock

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Ryan Crew said: " Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies was an engaging read that provided many opportunities for immediate technological implementation of many tools described in the text. This text was powerful because of the central premise around Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies was an engaging read that provided many opportunities for immediate technological implementation of many tools described in the text. This text was powerful because of the central premise around the book, which was to provide a context of why emerging technologies are important for impacting the classroom and how these tools can be implemented with explicit situations. Throughout this read, you will be faced with many opportunities to explore and imagine how emerging technology can transform the classroom. This book has an essential balance between pedagogy and technology tools to increase student engagement that makes it an exciting read for any educators entering the world of educational technology.

In this book, a major portion of the beginning of the text is written to establish the need for emerging technology. The stories of hesitant implementation of new technologies are relatable and provide a context where all teachers have found themselves at some time in their career. Through this, the author is able to provide opportunities where a shift in pedagogy, correlated with increased instructional risk-taking, provides an opportunity to leverage technology in the classroom. As described in the text, “Ultimately, classroom time is transformed from a passive to an active experience and the role of the instructor shifts from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side.” (Pacansky-Brock, 2012). However, without meaningful instructional decisions, the integration of technology in the classroom can be interesting but ineffective in increasing student inquiry and success.

First, as stated in the text, there must be shifts in our understanding about what technologies like the Internet provides students. “Interestingly, despite the common perception that the Internet is ruining society, adult internet users in the United States are more likely than non-internet users to be active in a volunteer group or organization (86% compared to 56%).” (Pacansky-Brock, 2012). Like any other tool, technology has its strengths and limitations, but the integration of technology is often looked at as only decreasing student engagement in the classroom. With some of the most powerful devices in their hands, giving them the ability to find nearly any piece of information available to man, why would students be engaged in a passive classroom? The author of this text is not only able to answer this question but she gives clear examples where educational institutions, like Arizona State, encourage or require technology, which instead of decreasing engagement, allows for students to collaborate and communicate in a rich and meaningful discussion on difficult topics and issues.

Upon establishing the transformational power of technology in a classroom, this text provides resources and feedback on emerging technology that establishes a lens through which to view emerging technology. A common theme that emerges as effective tools is that the tool is participatory as stated, “participatory learning situates individuals within a fluid community in which members make contributions by sharing ideas of their own...” (Pacansky-Brock, 2012). In doing so, the benefits and requirement to participate create a community that supports each other, removing the instructor as the only source of information. In this class model, a collaborative community is able to establish and support multiple experts in the topic rather than depending on the ineffective and disengaging form of passive learning that is seen in many of our classrooms today.

Before summarizing the text, the credibility and qualifications of the author should be discussed in some detail. First, Michelle Pacansky-Brock is an innovative instructor at California State University-Channel Islands, where she focuses on establishing humanized online learning experiences for students. She is a keynote speaker that has published multiple books on transforming the classroom with emerging technologies. She has been a higher education learning consultant and faculty development specialist for @One, an online teaching certification program. As stated, “This book will take you for a ride through my own journey of enlightenment that inspired me to see my teaching practices from a new perspective.” (Pacansky-Brock, 2012).

Based on these accomplishments, Pacansky-Brock is a highly motivated and successful educator who has specialized in transforming the classroom to benefit the students experience and support to become successful in their ability to understand and utilize technology in the classroom. Overall, her efforts have had a major impact in education recently and many higher education campuses have begun the shift towards more student-centered learning environments. In summary, this text is effective in establishing the need and subsequent benefits of technology implementation in the classroom. The shift from passive to participatory classrooms for students will be a major pedagogical undertaking by educators trying to establish a more student-centered classroom, which will be enhanced by understanding many of the emerging technologies prescribed within this text.

References:

Pacansky-Brock, M. (2012). Best practices for teaching with emerging technologies. New York, NY:
Routledge. ...more "

Jun 29, 2017 12:21PM · see review