Technology++Leadership+Book+Summary

Technology/Leadership Book Summary
Shanda Shoop EDLD 5306

Alan November’s //Empowering Students with Technology// gives the reader a wide range of topics to think about in regards to teaching technology as well as explaining how the roles are changing for the teacher and the learner. He explores how “teaching and learning are changing” in regards to how students will learn with new ways to use technology. He goes on to write about “empowering learning by expanding relationships” and the benefits that follow. He describes how “emerging roles within the knowledge community” is important for everyone involved to be successful. “Accessing primary sources to enhance critical thinking” is explored to show other ways for students to find interesting and useful information. Finally, he talks about how online learning is continuing to change as society and the learner advance with the use of technology (November, 2010, p. ix).

Mr. November begins his book by describing how a student by the name of Zach breaks into the computer lab after school to see how he can break computer code to learn, not to cause problems. Apparently the computers are used during the day and the student is not able to work on them. He needed “access to academic resources that could help him graduate.” This sets the tone of the book. Mr. November is able to give various examples by explaining there may be a “real fear that we are losing students to the computer and the increased computer use will erode face-to-face social skills.” This writer goes on to say that “technology can be a powerful motivator for some students who do not succeed in a traditional classroom.” This is very powerful information, especially when we are teaching so many kinds of learners on so many different levels today (November, 2010, p. ix).

As we read, we see that the writer says that students are faced with “a greater sense of freedom to access information and people with powerful tools.” He says that we as educators have to understand this and help them filter information to find what is most useful and accurate. He states that not all sources are accurate. Students must be able to see that a writer of a site may have expressed beliefs more than actual facts. There are ways to check to see if the web site or its links are credible sources to use, and we must be sure to teach these methods to our students (November, 2010, p. 12). An interesting note is that students as well as adults must be careful what they post on the Internet. He mentions a “Wayback Machine” as a way to search the archives for old postings. These can be opened years later as they are never really deleted. Everyone must use caution when posting on the Internet as various persons may want to see into our past, such as potential employers and universities (November, 2010, p. 17).

Mr. November mentions that “filtering can give students and teachers a false sense of security and safety.” There are many schools that use filtering software to prevent users from accessing web sites that may be questionable. These filters may not keep students from sites that may give information that is based on beliefs and not true facts One example mentioned was in regards to the Holocaust and if it actually happened in history (November, 2010, p. 29).

An activity that is seen repeatedly in the book is an “E-Venture.” These are examples of lessons that could be used to teach about various computer skills. These sample lessons help us understand how the particular skill can be used in a real world application (November, 2010, p. 17).

He goes on to comment that “empowering students to see learning as an adventure” will “motivate” them to do well. Some of the sources he describes are very interesting from databases to actual people that lived in the time period in question. Students can ask questions of people like Jackie Robinson’s wife to see what Jackie’s beliefs were. He wrote to four presidents at a time when Civil Rights were on the minds of many. This fact may be new to some as he was also well known as a historical baseball player. Mr. November says these sources challenge students in new ways in that they must come up with new types of questions, which is difficult at times. Here the teacher must step in to help the student prepare for what types of questions need to be considered (November, 2010, p. 91).

He feels we have “succeeded at teaching our students how to be taught, and what we need to do is teach them how to learn.” Filtering information and searching in the correct places are just the beginning. Looking for accurate information is also important as some learners get in a hurry and stop their search early (November, 2010, p. 29).

Beginning with a section called “Teaching and Learning the Structure of Information,” Mr. November explains that “technology is finally faster, cheaper, easier, and smaller.” How exciting it is for students to access information with these improvements. Saving time and making it easier is what young people want (November, 2010, p. 11).

“Automating” and “informing” are discussed as different “approaches to apply technology”. He says that when an organization automates, the “work remains the same.” Mr. November continues by saying that informing “changes the flow and control of information,” which allows “access to information in a more timely” manner (November, 2010, p. 2 -3).

This book “provides a glimpse into how to manage the transition of preparing students to work in the digital economy.” No longer is “paper the dominant medium.” He describes communication literacy as “becoming a basic skill” and if students don’t understand this, they “will be manipulated by people who do.” Students must continue to learn correctly so they will not fall behind (November, 2010)

Mr. November repeats throughout the book that teachers “don’t have to know all there is to know about technology.” He says that knowledge will come and some of it will come from students. He wants us to understand how to teach students using technology in different ways. He says, “We need to focus” on not just being “computer literate,” but on “teaching students to be information literate and communications literate.” Students must be able to communicate effectively and use the information in the same manner (November, 2010).

Discussing how “students need to be able to function well in a globally connected economy” is mentioned next. Working with large amounts of information as well as being able to “work with people all over the world will be a new basic skill.” Technology makes it easier to converse with people all over the world and this skill is an important one to have in order to be successful. Skype was one program that was discussed that allows students and others to communicate for free all around the world be it with “text chats or voice chats” Skype is changing the way we communicate (November, 2010, p. 34).

“Empowering Learning by expanding relationships” is discussed in that “today’s students must learn how to work with people all over the world.” “Social skills” and “teamwork” are more “difficult” to learn, but necessary according to Mr. November (November, 2010).

Online learning is changing each day. Different kinds of students are being able to learn from home that could not do so at school for a variety of reasons. Not all students and teachers can work on line. November goes on to say that it is important to be “self disciplined” and “motivated.” Many learners do like this way of learning as they can work at their own pace. It is stated in the book that those that aren’t happy tend to drop out of the online program sooner (November, 2010).

In conclusion, Alan November’s //Empowering Students with Technology// covers many topics relating to how technology is changing, including how we teach and how students learn. We must all adjust so all concerned will be able to benefit effectively as technology continues to advance and change our lives.

Works Cited November, Alan. (2010). //Empowering Students with Technology//. Thousand Oaks, California: Corbin.