What will it take to see change in Dalian's education sector?

  · Who are the stakeholders that you would reach out to first to develop a technology integration plan?

Thinking about my technology integration plan, I feel it is necessary to first establish the needs and wants of local residents and the community members as a foundational step. As I have now returned to Dalian for 2 weeks, I have started to brainstorm on possible interested parties. This could include principals and teachers from private and public schools to measure what areas they struggle with, leaders in technology and manufacturing companies around the Jinpu New Area to gauge potential areas and market trends for youth to focus on, and community based organizations or training centers that may already be servicing residents in the local community in areas related to digital competency.

· How might technology integration be aligned with current projects or goals in your community, school, or organization?

Tech tools could be integrated to support local small businesses and connect residents to remote work opportunities. Without further investigation into schools’ current projects, it is difficult to comment on technology integration goals, however as described by Falloon (2020) that technical subject-specific or information skills taught to students often don’t prepare students enough for future life. Frameworks like the Teacher Digital Competence model may help guide future teachers how to incorporate personal-ethical, personal-professional, and curriculum competencies at more levels of instruction for students, with the use of digital instruction.

· How would you structure opportunities or take advantage of current practices to learn together and build capacity to implement the plan?

Saloon style classes with university students and pre-service teachers can be held to discuss frameworks and utilize rubrics such as the triple E rubric for specific class implementation that ensures technology incorporated into the lesson Extends, Enhances, and Engages learners in meaningful ways (Kolb, 2020). Through class monitoring, remotely or in person, we can then review what is successful and make necessary adjustments to improve student outcomes. This could be a Professional Learning Community that allows teachers to observe and learn with each other.

Figure 1:  Triple E Framework (Kolb, 2020)

· What outcomes might you focus on to provide input/feedback for your plan? Also consider the digital divide research you have engaged in earlier this semester.

Earlier research this semester highlighted the Third-Level Digital Divide, which focuses on the disparity in outcomes even when access is equal. Focusing on creating media, solving a community-related issue through collaboration and evaluating students’ sense of autonomy could be areas to measure student growth. Teacher’s can provide assignments that are student centered and problem based. Considering frameworks like TDC, that create a holistic roadmap for moving beyond technical proficiency toward pedagogical and personal-ethical agency. TDC allows teachers to move away from specific instruction to creating an learning environment that prioritizes digital citizenship and student competency for thriving in a “digitally mediated society” (Falloon, 2020 p.2463).

· Choose a model for change from the readings that resonates with you and briefly discuss application of this model to your community.

Magana’s T3 Framework (2017) clearly defines a differentiation of outcomes that is parallel to the digital divide we are describing. This model provides a clear hierarchy for moving beyond simple Translational (T1) uses of technology, like digitizing a worksheet. By applying the T3 Model in Dalian, we can move our community toward Transformational (T2) production and, ultimately, Transcendent (T3) social entrepreneurship. In this stage, students don't just learn English or IT; they use those tools to solve real-world problems for Jinpu residents (Magana, 2017). This shift from user to innovator is the true goal of our digital evolution.

 

References:

Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: The teacher digital competency (TCD) Framework. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68. 2449-2472. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4Links to an external site. 

Kolb, L. (2020). About the Triple E Framework. Retrieved from: https://www.tripleeframework.com/about.html

Magana, S. (2017). Disruptive Classroom Technologies: A Framework for Innovation in Education. Thousand Oaks: Corwin. Magana Chapter 2.pdf