Redevelop, Redesign, and Restore Education

As technology continues influence every aspect of today’s world, new and different complexities arise. One of the most profound effects of this new era is the impact on education. Without a doubt, technology enables learning to reach new heights and it paves the way for higher levels of learning, but it also has its setbacks. Technology requires a transformation of the educational system. “The decision not to educate our students in this new media is a dangerous one” (November, 2008, p. 3). Therefore, educators have to redevelop, redesign, and restore their teaching so that students are becoming not only technology savvy, but more important, technology-literate. It is not enough for students to know how to use a device, they need to know how to utilize that device through various mediums to gather and acquire a deeper understanding. Therefore, without a doubt, this course has made me realize that my students need guidance on how to utilize technology appropriately to reach higher levels of learning.

One of the most profound revelations I had in regard to teaching new literacies was the fact that even though my students have grown up with and have completely been immersed with technology, they lack the necessary skills to be technology-literate. Take for instance the Internet, “people of all ages are surprisingly inefficient at finding information using this unique resource (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 2). Too many times educators assume that because students use the Internet frequently, they have the necessary skills to navigate and find resources. However, despite the fact that students spend many hours online, it doesn’t mean that they have been properly educated in employing various strategies to search, locate, evaluate, synthesize, and understand information. In this case, I realize that more of my time needs to be spent guiding my students on how to utilize the Internet effectively. I can no longer assume that they understand, I need to guide them in understanding.

Furthermore, this course has equipped me with several teaching strategies that I can employ on a regular basis to help my students learn new literacies. For instance, I have relearned the power of modeling. Modeling has always been a part of my teaching repertoire, but I have never truly realized the magnitude of this teaching tool until now. “Successful teachers continually prompt learners to become more metacognitive so that students begin to monitor their own learning, adjusting and extending strategies as needed” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 19). Furthermore, I have a new awareness for continual reinforcement of new skills through practice. Too many times I feel overwhelmed and harried to cover as much content as possible, when in fact, my students may not be retaining anything because they are not given adequate time to practice each new concept. In this case, not only is it crucial that I model new concepts, but that I provide ample and meaningful time for my students to practice.

With all of this, I realize that in order to teach my students how to utilize new technologies, I myself must be proficient enough to guide them. Therefore, one of my goals that I have already started is making connections with other professionals in my field. Too many times as educators we feel helpless when it comes to support within our own buildings, and I have come to realize that I am the one to blame for relying on someone else to guide me; I have to be a pioneer. I recently started a blog with another class from Maine, and together we are working towards teaching the new literacies to our students. With technology, we can be in constant communication and together we are paving the way for our students. Furthermore, how can I direct my students in this technology-based environment if I am not willing to become a part of their world? Therefore, I am enabling my students to guide me as well. Recently I asked my students about their technology skills and what devices they use on a daily basis. With this information, I created several lessons that permit them to utilize their skills for educational purposes. For the first time, they have the ability to showcase what they can do with technology, and I have the unique opportunity to observe, ask questions, and most importantly, learn. For me, I knew that I had to begin working towards my goal early, because I could not let another school year go by without providing me students with the best education possible.

Overall, technology is truly a blessing to the world of education. Today’s educators need to realize that resistance is futile and the only people they are hindering are their students. If education does not transform and educators do not embrace technology, students will be left to their own devices, which may lead to ultimate failure. Education has a purpose, and that purpose cannot be lost because new complications and obstacles arise. The roots of education have always been and always will be to educate today’s youth, and I know that now, more than ever, my students depend on my guidance to redevelop, restore, and redesign, their educational experience.


Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

  November, A. (2008). Web literacy for educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.