Pedagogy before Technology - Jessica Martinez

Pedagogy before Technology


In today’s digital age, technology has become a major part of education, offering new tools and opportunities for learning. When thinking about "Pedagogy before technology" there is an emphasis on the importance of prioritizing effective teaching methods over the tools used to deliver them. This perspective ensures that education remains centered on the needs of students, fostering critical thinking, engagement, and meaningful learning experiences. This essay explores the thoughts behind this approach and examines how pedagogy can guide the use of technology to create an environment where both students and educators thrive.


Students’ views on technology are based on engagement and entertainment, with the majority of their interests tied to social media known as “Socials” and have algorithms that are geared towards the student's interests and feelings. My views as an educator on technology are similar to students in the classroom today’s feeling, but I also understand the wealth of knowledge and resources that can be found and used by using technology, in addition to seeking help from the library. By having slightly different views of technology, students and teachers/librarians can collaborate to incorporate both methods of using technology to be used in their classrooms.



Technology can be seen as a tool for learning, as well as the foundation upon which students learn from. Students may use technology for designing, inventing, and constructing what they know, which all lean towards Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy of Creating. Technology can also be considered the foundation upon which we build learning, in considering the apps, software, databases, and websites students incorporate into their learning. These resources have always been present in their educational experiences, so students usually gravitate towards them, as well as these tools can be used to support different cognitive levels in students. 


It is important to ensure librarians are knowledgeable about technology and all it can offer to the library and to its patrons/students. Today we live in a world that is run by technology and students are engulfed in it every day. By being aware of the education opportunities technology offers, librarians can best help students find and learn new things. Technology is not only beneficial for students learning but can help aid in the librarians' running of the school library. 


Changing the technological landscape to impact instruction can result in, personalized learning, in which leveraging adaptive learning software that tailors content to individual student needs. Changing the technological landscape can be considered a method of Professional Development, by continuous improvement in tech tools and pedagogy will become essential for all educators, as well as sharing best practices for using technology effectively in instruction.

Resources:


Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Bloom’s digital taxonomy. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/blooms-digital-taxonomy

K-12 Blueprint. (n.d.). Toolkits. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.k12blueprint.com/toolkits

Marist College. (2023, August 23). The first Marist mindset list is released. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.marist.edu/w/marist-news-the-first-marist-mindset-list-is-released


Comments

  1. Anonymous23 January 2025 at 19:35

    Jessica, thank you for sharing your thoughts on technology and its impact on the school community. I concur with your comment about how technology can enhance instruction and, more specifically, personalize learning. In this era of constant change, tailored instruction is vital to ensure students engage in learning and demonstrate understanding through application, critical, and creative thinking. If I may add, although a great tool to maximize instruction and student learning experiences, technology is a supplement tool, hence the reason for an intentional, structured, and planned curriculum. Well, done, Jessica!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sarai Estrada25 January 2025 at 12:31

    Jessica, I agree with you that technology is not only a valuable tool for students, but it also enhances the efficiency of library management. From organizing resources and updating catalogs to hosting virtual reading sessions, technology has the power to transform the library into a more interactive and accessible space for all. Thank you for sharing such an insightful blog post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lauren Niedzielski25 January 2025 at 14:02

    Jessica, I appreciate the point you made about how technology can be used as tools to support different cognitive levels in students. That is a wonderful aspect of technology that allows differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students, as well as making it intentional and transferable for all students. Thanks for sharing your post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Elizabeth Gross27 January 2025 at 13:26

    You brought up some good points about algorithms. I don't think people are aware how much this helps focus content on us. It's troubling. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  5. MeaganH.2 May 2025 at 12:18

    This post beautifully emphasizes prioritizing effective teaching methods ("pedagogy before technology"), a concept that resonated strongly with my recent exploration of tech tools for school libraries. Understanding students as digital natives with different perspectives on technology is crucial for librarians as we guide them in leveraging its vast resources for learning.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Claire Tolbert3 May 2025 at 10:42

    I like that you mentioned the different perspectives that could help both groups learn. It's important to share information with each other and to consider different viewpoints when learning about new ideas. Viewpoints help us learn better and in turn help those that we are trying to teach because it allows us to get a better understanding.

    ReplyDelete

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