What comes first? Curriculum or Technology

[Brian Mellott]

In the world of high-stakes testing, it seems natural that we should teach the standards first and technology later, if we have time. However, I would argue that that mindset strips teachers of the only power that they have left: how to teach the standard. When you come across a site or a resource that you find interesting and useful, do you think about how you can work the resource into the curriculum or do you think about how you can work the curriculum around the resource? Take, for example, a site like Eternal Egypt. This is a very robust site that could be used in Math, Science, History, English, Government, and other classes. How could you use this tool while still maintaining the standards?

[Cathy Rabago]

Well, I think it depends on a person's definition ofcurriculum and technology. I see curriculum as "what" we need to teach and technology as a "tool" that helps us teach. So, in my opinion, in order to teach the curriculum effectively, we need to use every "tool" available, including technology. So technically, they both come at the same time. You can not have one without the other.

To answer the question in the last person's post, with the example of Eternal Egypt, the standards are not going to change, however, teachers can find an effective way to teach the standards by using this site or tool. For example, webquests can be used to zero in on a specific topics, having students create virtual field trips can help students to build a broader understanding of the topic and the primary resources available on the site can help the students visualize the past without having lived during the time period or visit a museum. As you can see, there are many ways this one tool can be used in every subject and can be used to integrate every subject.

[Brian Mellott]

Cathy brings up some interesting points. The curriculum is "what" we should teach. Teachers get to decide how to teach it. What I am asking about here is our starting point for any given lesson or unit. Should we only start from the curriculum and use our tools to teach those points? Or should we consider starting, from time to time, from the perspective of a tool or resource and finding ways to integrate it into the curriculum? Both are still taken into consideration and the standards are still met. We simply change the starting point every now and then when developing our lessons and units.

Cathy brings up the example of a webquest. What would be a teacher's starting point for this? The technology or the curriculum map? Could it go either way?

[Amanda Tucker]

I usually ask myself - How can technology help me teach the curriculum? However, there seem to be exceptions to every rule. For instance, I have students practice typing skills at the beginning of each computer lab lesson. This could be can example of how students are learning the tool for future use; not necessarily to meet standards or curriculum goals. While I don't believe in using some resource or technology just "because", I do feel that students should have the opportunity to become familiar and comfortable with it first.

Do you all agree? How do you feel about exposing students to the newest technologies - with or without a specific standard or objective in mind?

[Donald Saunders]

I think curriculum should always come first. The technology should be brought in to supplement the lessons we plan to teach. We do not want to get so caught up in the technology that we lose focus of our objective or goal. We can teach without technology, but we cannot teach without the curriculum. Technology is a recent resource that should be aiding our students learning. Pertaining to Brian's comment about starting with technology from time to time, we are not starting with technology if we are finding ways to integrate it into the curriculum, we are introducing it after we have the curriculum.

[Ashley Phillips]

I think that technology is very useful, but it is still more important to teach the curriculum first. If technology complements the orginal lesson plan, then great. In many cases technology will enhance the lesson plan and make things much clearer. For example, a video clip of a natural disaster makes it much more real than reading about it in a newspaper. We should use technology to better the curriculum.

[Sarah McGull]

I completely agree that we must teach the standards first. As a strong believer in educating the "whole child," I feel use of technology can greatly enhance the teaching of the standards, as well as expose students to new technology. I find that my students are very interested in technology, which can help them "buy in" to the lesson being taught. I also believe that there are many websites that allow students to practice content while playing games and enjoying themselves, thereby making students more likely to use them. Recently, my students saw video of slides of bacteria and parameciums, as well as invertebrates that they otherwise would not have seen at all.

I do believe that students need more overall technology instruction in order to prepare them to be adults in the 21st century. I can't sacrifice my curriculum as a gen.ed. teacher, but I believe more technology classes should be offered and/or required of students, especially in middle and high school.

[Kim Ball]

I typically have a set schedule of what I am teaching, since I teach high school math. I do try to incorporate technology. Many times, I have used sites such as QUIA to make up tests or interesting worksheets. Many times, students get to check out the laptops and practice problems. In high school, everything is laid out for you. I have seen some elementary teachers that teach math, science, history, and English using a particular topic of interest. They incorporate a lot of technology and it makes the learning of the subjects very interesting to the students. I just find it a bit harder in a high school math class with a rigid curriculum to incorporate a lot of technology. I find it difficult, although not impossible, to locate a good site first, then try to fit it in the curriculum. I honestly feel curriculum is the most important. Technology should definitely be taught, but perhaps not within a math classroom

[Tamara Scott]

As a relatively new teacher, I've used technology in several different ways - as an introduction video or slide show to a unit study, webquest or educational site to address specific information, content-related game sites for enrichment, and SOL sites as remediation. So I suppose I've used techology to work around the curriculum. Students come to us with varied backgrounds and may or may not have the background knowledge to understand why its important for a Polar Bear to be white or what Ancient Roman aquaducts were used for. Technology helps provide those visual experiences and, in some cases, the ability to their manipulate their learning. I agree that many of the websites or webquests out there will not address every standard or curriculum but you can supplement with other sites or in-class activities to meet those needs.