Competency 3 focuses on incorporating technology into your teaching practices.
The first item I have chosen to highlight for this competency is the presentation "Incorporating Technology in your Teaching" given by Dr. Stefanie Baier at the Certification in College Teaching Institute summer 2025. Dr. Baier discussed how, when done thoughtfully, incorporating technology can be valuable for classroom learning and provides strategies for achieving this goal. We discussed the importance of aligning technology use with learning objectives and being thoughtful and intentional about when and how you use it. Dr. Baier walked us though an exercise where we imagined everyday objects that could be used as "technology" in the classroom, emphasizing that technology does not have to be digital to be effective. Our goal was to create a mock lesson plan around the object and be able to clearly articulate how the technology would enhance student learning. For this activity I was given a rubber band as my "technology" and I created a mock lesson plan as to how we could use a rubber band to demonstrate elastic potential energy and Hooke's Law.
Additionally, I have included a mock lesson plan that I developed during ISE 870: Teaching College Science which focuses on teaching kinematics and gravitational acceleration using a hands-on activity. In this lesson, students use a ball, a stopwatch and meter sticks and measure the time it takes for the ball to hit the ground. They can use this data to calculate the acceleration due to gravity and compare their results to the accepted value. Once the students have completed the activity, we include questions for them to reflect on their findings and how their results would change under different circumstances.
I included this lesson plan as it highlights both the incorporation of everyday objects as technology in the classroom as well as the use of digital technology to support student learning. We can think of the ball, stopwatch, and meter sticks as simple technologies that allow students to engage in hands-on learning and data collection. These tools help students help students ground their understanding of kinematics and gravity into something tangible. We also include easily accessible digital technology and introduce students to online graphing tools, like Desmos, to help them visualize their data and perform calculations. I, personally, think Desmos is a great tool as it is free to use, has a user friendly interface, and clearly connects data points and equation to their visual representations. It is clear that with intentionality, we can effectively incorporate both simple and digital technologies to enhance student learning.
When reflecting on the broad category of "technology in the classroom", it is apparent to me that almost anything can be an instructional aid with just a little bit of inspiration and creativity. We often think of technology as digital, but this is not exclusively true. However, physics and astronomy are fields that heavily rely on digital technology, and specifically computer programming, for data processing and analysis. Enhancing students technological literacy is crucial as they will inevitably encounter various technologies in their academic and professional careers. As a teacher, I aim to expose my students to relevant technologies and provide them with opportunities to develop their skills in using these tools effectively.
It it also clear that technology should never be used just for the sake of using it. Instead, technology should always be thoughtfully integrated into lessons with the goal of enhancing student learning and engagement. As an educator, I want to be intentional about how I incorporate technology into my teaching practices. I believe that technology can be a powerful tool for supporting student learning when used effectively.
I think this is a particularly poignant topic given the current educational landscape and the rapid adoption of generative Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. As educators, we need to be thoughtful about how we adapt out teaching and assessment practices to account for these new technologies. I believe that we need to find ways as educators to still foster critical thinking and creativity in our students, even when they have access to powerful tools like LLMs. This may involve rethinking assessment methods and restructuring assignments to adapt to this changing landscape. Overall, I believe that incorporating technology in teaching is an essential skill for educators, especially in today's digital age.