Creating Meaningful Learning Environments with Technology
Overview of Positive Youth Development
Preparing our youth for the 21st century has brought us to consider skills that go beyond reading, writing and arithmetic. With the development and growth of the Internet, a new paradigm emerged: computer-supported collaborative learning (Bers, 2012, p.8). Previously, there was a push to learn independently, memorizing much of what was needed for a test. The skill that children were learning was memorization. Today, with so many digital resources at our fingertips, the skill of memorization is not as important. Children can access these digital resources to quickly find the answers that are needed for basic recall.
Once the push for technology became a focus in the classroom during the past several years, experiences were developed by teachers to create a space where digital encounters were a large part of the curriculum. Much of the technology used was still “risk-free” (Bers, 2012). Previously, there was little room for self-exploration and lacked the opportunity for experimentation. Bers (2012) uses the metaphor of these experiences being like a playpen as they “serve to corral children into a safe and confined space (p. 23).”
Bers (2012) challenges us to design our digital spaces more like a playground. “This is a time for free exploration for testing boundaries, for socializing, for taking risks in a safe way, for engaging in pretend play, for solving problems, for engaging in creative acts that can display children’s autonomy (Bers, 2012, p. 23).” As with any positive youth developmental push, it is important for us to focus on skills that will encourage mastery in self-confidence, experimentation, and creativity (Bers, 2012). In return, these traits will transfer into learning any content area.
“Most discussions about ‘21st century skills’” emphasizes the need for schools to focus more on so-called “soft” skills and character traits, such as creative thinking and curiosity, in addition to cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical analysis, the attainment of core subject knowledge, and strong early literacy and numeracy (Siraj, 2017). Interestingly, early childhood education already includes a strong focus on these so-called “soft” skills (Siraj, 2017).
When designing digital landscapes, it is important to purposefully design experiences that are engaging and also allow for risk taking (Bers, 2012). By implementing the 6 C’s: content creation, creativity, choice of conduct, communication, collaboration, and communication, teachers can focus more on the learning process, rather than simply the end product (Bers, 2012). This allows for children of all ages to become confident, competent, team-workers while also building positive character traits. “We are heading for an age that requires adaptable ‘knowledge workers’ who can work collaboratively, independently and creatively (Siraj, 2017).”
As designers of digital landscapes, it is vital that we consider how today’s children learn and participate in digital landscapes. It is important to create safe, open-ended environments that will allow children to move toward 21st Century skills, living outside of the “playpen” and learning at the “playground” (Bers, 2012).
Branchburg Township School District & Positive Technology Development Correlation
The Technology Plan for Digital Learning for the Branchburg Township School District for 2016-2019 is centered upon the vision that technology can foster “independence, responsibility, integration, and equal opportunity for students and staff (p.1).” In many ways, this vision correlates with the ideas for the Positive Technological Development framework presented by Bers (2012). Within Bers’ (2012) framework, Branchburg’s Technology Plan (2016) specifically supports promoting competence, developing positive student conduct and character traits, and promoting connections. Overall, the vision and ideas within the Technology Plan (2016) are helping to develop a digital landscape for students on both the school and district levels.
According to Bers (2012), one of the important aspects of the PTD framework is to enable students to create their own digital content to promote technological competence. Bers (2012) explains this as viewing “children as producers, as opposed to consumers (p.67).” This idea directly correlates to Branchburg Central Middle School’s reflection on their Digital Learning Survey (Branchburg Township School District, 2016). In this reflection, the school points out that their goal over the duration of their technology plan is to follow the SAMR Model in order to guide their “technology integration into the Redefinition stage (Branchburg Township School District, 2016, p.4).” This would bring all students to the highest level of technology integration and production.
The SAMR Model is a means of utilizing technology in an increasingly transformational way (Walsh, 2015). Developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, SAMR is an acronym which stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (Walsh, 2015). At the highest level of technology integration, Redefinition allows students to utilize technology to create things that would otherwise be inconceivable (Walsh, 2015). If we look at Branchburg’s Technology Plan (2016), the goal is to move all staff and students towards the Redefinition phase. Redefinition on the SAMR Model clearly supports Bers’ (2012) ideas of constructionism, which promotes student coding and analytical thinking (p. 68), as well as content creation which encourages making websites, videos and blogging (p.76). This is a pivotal aspect of Branchburg’s Technology Plan which aligns with Bers’ Positive Technological Development framework.
Another important aspect of Bers’ (2012) framework discusses the ways in which students conduct themselves online. She refers to the digital world as an “ethical playground to explore our moral identities (p. 91).” In this digital world, students must learn the ethical way in which they should conduct themselves. This aspect of PTD coincides with Goal 3 of Branchburg’s Technology Plan (2016), which states as its objective: “Students (will) learn acceptable, lawful, and appropriate use of digital content (p.7).”
The Action Plan outlined in this goal focuses on teacher training and professional development to support in this endeavor. This type of training would support Bers’ (2012) claim that designing an appropriate technological landscape “offers many opportunities to design experiences to promote choices of conduct and community building (p. 94).” In this way, Branchburg Township School District’s (2016) activities of offering a Professional Development Academy, as well as teacher planning time with a tech coach (p. 8) would definitely support students’ moral reasoning and and promote ethical digital conduct.
Another key component of Bers’ (2012) PTD framework is that technology should be utilized to help students communicate with others and form connections. She points out that “programs informed by PTD must welcome the enormous possibilities for sharing ideas, thoughts, and feelings, for forming new social relationships and maintaining old ones (p.101).” By looking closely at Goal 4 of Branchburg’s Technology Plan, we will see a direct connection with Bers.
The Branchburg Township School District’s (2016) goal is to “use technology for connections outside the physical space (p. 8).” The Action Plan for this goal cites using digital resources such as Twitter, Skype, Youtube, etc. to make real world
connections (Branchburg Township School District,
2016). Bers’ (2012) framework supports this type of communication in that it has the potential to “enable children to communicate with others in order to make positive connections (p.105).” Branchburg’s (2016) vision of classroom walls showing transparency is one that demonstrates a positive digital landscape. Ultimately, the Technology Plan of the Branchburg Township School District for 2016-2019 (2016) is one that is comprehensive and definitely shows evidence of moving towards Positive Technological Development.
Branchburg Township School District Recommendations and Extension
A thorough review of the Branchburg Township School District Technology Plan (2016) reveals that the district has a well-crafted plan that supports Bers’ (2012) framework of positive youth development. Recommendations and extension for the Branchburg Township School District Technology Plan are as follows:
One observation of the Branchburg Central Middle School’s fourth goal, mentioned funding provided to support PARCC compatible devices to students (p. 10). Devices that support PARCC assessments and are compatible with testing does not support implementing technology that promotes positive technology development amongst students. Bers (2012) states that “as designers of the digital landscape, we are concerned with promoting positive youth development, and not only with improving test scores (p.137). We recommend that instead of focusing on devices that are compatible to PARCC, the focus should be on praxis-based models. Developmentally appropriate software programs that will help students grow and develop provides students with positive extended experiences. Program environments such as Logo, Scratch, Kid Pix, Panawapa, and Robotic Kits to name a few will help children in the role of content producers instead of consumers of information (Bers, p.15).
Another observation made was in the Professional Learning Plan section of all schools in the Branchburg Township School District Techology Plan (p. 9, p. 13, p.14, p.18). Professional development, training, and staff meetings are all vital services that can benefit both teachers and students. In an effort to provide meaningful positive technology opportunities, we recommend that time is set aside for both teachers and students to explore technology together. Students role as active participants rather than passive observers plays a key role achieving positive outcomes.
The Branchburg Township School District Technology Plan (2016) includes designing an environment that promotes technology and engineering, but plans were not clearly described. We recommend revising the action plan to clearly state or include a plan to implement spaces such as makerspaces. Bers, Strawhackers, and Vizner (2018) express the benefits of behaviors that are supported in the design of makerspaces that focus on competence, confidence, character, caring, connection, and contribution. Supporting technology as spaces where development happens such as makerspaces, especially in schools where devices are lacking, will help to support students’ technology development.
An extension we recommend for the Branchburg Township School District Technology Plan (2016) is to include and utilize the checklists provided by the Developmental Technologies Research Group, directed by Bers. Understanding and ensuring that technology is providing students with an overall positive developmental experience is crucial. The Positive Technological Developmental Framework Resources provided on the Dev Tech Research Group (n.d.) website includes: PTD Engagement Checklist for Children, PTD Engagement Checklist for Environments & Facilitators, and PTD Cards. The resources available online will help assist in the districts plan while focusing on both intrapersonal and interpersonal characteristics that may impact the use of technology.
The work presented in Branchburg Township School District Technology Plan (2016) displays an impressive effort in working towards promoting playgrounds, parks, and a palace in time as digital environments. The recommendations and extension presented in this paper were made with the intent to enhance and support Branchburg Township’s Technology Plan.
Conclusion
Bers (2012) identifies the need for taking developmental milestones into consideration when immersing students in digital landscapes as “children accomplish different developmental tasks at different ages (p.137).” Therefore, when creating PTD curriculum for students, it is imperative that schools develop Digital Curriculum that provides scope and sequence where it is student-centered and grade level appropriate that will allow teachers to utilize to guide their instruction (Bers, 2012, p.137).
In today’s digital world, it is essential to provide students with learning opportunities where they can use their creative thinking skills to create their own content. When students transition into the “real world,” they can contribute by problem solving and engineering new content that will attribute to existing and/or introduce new ideas and concepts. However, embedded within the PTD framework, students also need to learn and be aware about their role as a Digital Citizen.
The Common Sense Education (n.d.) has implemented a Digital Citizenship Curriculum for teachers to utilize various lessons in grades K-12. The following topics: internet safety, privacy & security, relationships & communication, cyberbullying & digital drama, digital footprint & reputation, self-image & identity, information literacy and creative credit & copyright are all covered in the Digital Citizenship Curriculum (Common Sense Education, n.d.). Through the Digital Curriculum, students will naturally learn and experience how to appropriately share and connect online with others in many different types of collaborative settings (Davis, 2017).
Technology innovation is inevitable and curiosity of how society will change in the future and even within the education system is quite intriguing. Papert (n.d.) emphasizes on when speaking about computers in education, people should not question how the machine will have an effect in the school systems, but rather thinking about the numerous opportunities that are offered to rethink what learning in education is all about. Furthermore, focusing on the role a computer will play in a student’s education should be minimized (Papert, n.d.); instead, commitment to how the computer provides students with a “greater sense of empowerment of being able to do more than they could do before” should be more meaningful and purposeful in the classroom (Papert, n.d.).