Vision for Technology Use in Education

After visiting a place like High Tech High in California and completing Part 1 and Part 2 of Integrating Technology, my vision of technology use in education has changed.  I used to think that technology needed to be forced into the hands of students and that everything possible should be done using technology.  I have come to the realization that this is not practical, sustainable or even necessary.  I now believe that a true integration of technology should be seamless and natural.  It is more about having the right tool for the task, than just having the tools.  I see many examples of simple Substitution when looking at the SAMR model in the work my own son is doing in his Grade 9 classes.  Our school has an iPad cart that can be booked out by teachers to use in their classes and it is simply collecting dust.  Teachers don't know what is available to them on these iPads, and the students are happier to just be on their phones than to use a school device.  It seems as though the kids think that being tech savvy means being able to send Snapchats and Instagram photos to their friends.    While these are acceptable uses for technology, teachers now need to show students how to use technology in a professional manner, which, I agree, can be through gaming and social media.  The readings discuss the 21st Century Competencies, which many students at my school are not demonstrating because they are not being given the opportunity to practice.  Our school is embarking on a new journey to incorporate Project Based Learning into as many courses as possible.  When looking at the Competencies, all of them can be achieved through PBL.  Technology becomes the tool to help solve a real life problem, not just a prop placed in a student's hands.  I hope to see changes in my school in teaching and learning so that students are more engaged and see themselves as partners in their learning.