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The Importance of Technology in the Classroom

Adriana Santos

ABC Community School

July 26, 2020

Importance
of Tech

Position Identification Lesson Plan

I1. Position Paper

As someone who grew up moving all around the Clark County School District, my

experience resembles many others’. Technology has always been a big part of how we learned,

but it is imperative to succeed in the world we live in today. Unfortunately, instead of continuing

to evolve with technology, students have only been taught the bare minimum. When I was

growing up teachers would only use technology in a passive way where everything we did was

repetitive; students hardly learned new skills and when they did, those skills were never used

again. We are living in a time where technology use goes beyond the basics.

The problem within CCSD is it continues to treat the use of technology as disposable.

Although I do see the financial aspect of the situation and will not argue the fact that technology

has a price tag. Having the proper tools to make sure our students, our future leaders, equipped to

succeed is an investment. In 2015, a concerned parent told the Daily News, “A good educator is

the one who can create a good blend of teacher's experience and the best of the technology.

Integrating the right type of technology and teaching method for the appropriate development of

every child is what I think is TEACHNOLOGY” (Darshan, 2015). This shows that even parents

have been and continue to be aware of the importance of computer literacy.

As parents and teachers, it is our duty to educate students because the moment they turn

18 and are handed their diploma, they are our equals, our future. It is our obligation to ensure

students receive the best education possible. Demanding students to exist in the pre-pandemic

world we used to know will not only hurt them, it is securing the complete doom of humanity.

We have lived well past the non-technological era and it is time we finally accept there is no

future without the proper use of technology. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is technology is

essential to schools, every working field, and everyday life.

References

Darshan, A. (2015, May 25). Integrate right technology & teaching method for development of a

child: TEACHNOLOGY - blend of teaching and technology. DNA : Daily News &

Analysis Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.csn.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.library.csn.edu/docview/1682841298?accountid=27953
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III. Identification of Standards

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) sets the bar for the

National Education Technology Standards (NETS)—which is meant to ensure students all

around the nation are receiving similar educations when it comes to technology literacy. There

are a few differences between the International/National standards versus the State standards.

ISTE has a total of seven standards for students while Nevada only has six.

Although ISTE and NETS set a good guideline for a national standard, the Nevada

Computer and Technology Standards (NCTS) gives much more detailed standards. Rather than

only giving a basic understanding of different categories, Nevada’s standards help set standards

for specific grade levels. This creates goals expected to be met by the time students move onto

another grade.

According to the ISTE NETS for Students, the lesson plan I have created follows

3. Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to

construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for

themselves and others.

3c: Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and

methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or

conclusions.

While the lesson plan falls under NCTS’s: 2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use

digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a

distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

2.A.12.1: Collaborate electronically with peers, experts and others to create and publish

digital products for authentic audiences* (used for lesson plan).

IV. Lesson Plan

Name of lesson: American Poets Influence

Grade Level Appropriateness: 11th grade English

Technology Content Standard Addressed: #2 Communication and Collaboration: Students

use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a

distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

*2.A.12.1: Collaborate electronically with peers, experts and others to create and

publish digital products for authentic audiences.

Other Content Standard Addressed: Combine technology skills from drawing software, word

process software and presentation software to display knowledge acquired through this term.

Analyze a variety of American poets and interoperate the meanings behind each author’s poems

from the previously studied material.

Objective: The student will demonstrate their knowledge of an important American poet using

presentation program software, understand how to use computer drawing tools to reflect their

perception of chosen poetry, and then share with the class their observations.

Materials needed to facilitate the lesson: computers, access to Google Classroom, drawing

software, word processor, presentation program, and projector (teacher).

Suggested group size: 3 students

Procedures:

Day 1 (Monday): Students will choose their own groups of 3. Students will choose a poet from

the section we just studied. From there, students will pick their favorite poem from their

chosen poet. (Groups can choose the same poet but cannot choose the same poem.)
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o Absent students will be added to random groups and will be emailed with

information needed for easy return.

• At the end of class: each group will submit the Google Classroom Assignment with their

chosen poet and poem along with each of the group members' names.

Day 2 (Tuesday): Students will use the presentation program of their choice with 5-7 slides total.

o The first slide will act as their title page and include each group members’ name.

o Slides MUST contain: (Students can choose the order of the requirements below)

1) Important facts

2) Author’s impact on American society

3) Chosen poem and explanation for its importance

4) Group’s own original poem in the style of chosen author

5) An original symbol/drawing

• At the end of class: students must share/email presentation to teacher containing what

their drawing/symbol will be or a started sketch, information on author, and poem’s

importance.

Day 3 (Wednesday): Students will continue to work on the assignment from the previous day.

• At the end of class: students must have at least 80% of their project done, including their

drawing.

Day 4 (Thursday): Students will spend the class fine tuning their presentations. Students will

submit a word-processed document describing each group member’s duty on the creation

of project and role for presentation. Students will create notecards with talking points for

presentation.
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o Notecards are for key points to help guide students in case information is

forgotten because of nervousness.

▪ Notecards should NOT have fully written speeches as they do not make

up for being unprepared.

• At the end of class: students must show a ready present project to teacher

Day 5 (Friday): Students will present their project to the class. Each group member is expected

to speak during their 4-5 minute presentation. Groups will be timed and will have a point

deducted for every 30 seconds that did not meet or exceeded time allowed.

Assessment: This assignment will be graded in five parts.

1) 2 points each day present and productive—10 pts total (individual grade)

2) 5 points for Day 1 Google Classroom submission

3) 5 points for word process document

4) 10 points for quality of work & meeting all project requirements

5) 10 points for presentation (individual grade)

40 points total
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V. Lesson Sample

Day 1

Day 2 Day 4

Start presentation program and share Finish project, create notecards for

with teacher. presentation, and submit word process

Example of sharing presentation using document containing each member’s role.

PowerPoint.

Example for word process document using

Microsoft Word.

Day 3

Continue working on project.

Lesson Sample (Continued)

Day 4 (cont.)

Notecards example

Day 5

Present—Example using PowerPoint