Teaching with Technology (Revised)

About Me

My name is Cody Squadroni, and I am an Instructor of Computer Science and Web and User Experience at Weber State University. I teach a broad range of topics from game development, programming, user experience, and design. With my interestest in teaching, these areas all have something in common, and that is technology. I have always been interested in technology and staying up-to-date with current technology trends or staying ahead. With my passion for technology, I find it essential to include it in my teaching so students are up-to-date. I hope to use innovative technology in the classroom to improve student success in an academic setting and a professional environment. I understand that technology isn't required in all aspects of learning and teaching, but in the realm of programming, I feel as though it is necessary.

My Philosophy

I believe that using technology in the classroom is beneficial to the student and the teacher. One benefit is using technology to improve instructional methods so that students retain the information more efficiently. Another benefit in using technology allows us as teachers to instruct students anywhere around the world and allow the use of asynchronous and synchronous options. In computer science, technology allows a hands-on approach, which I feel is important at any age. Still, it is also crucial that students who are learning to create technology also use technology to understand because they wouldn't be able to create.

I want my students to succeed, so using technology that they would use in the workforce is valuable to prepare them for professional success. I want my students to understand why a specific technology like JavaScript is used and how to use it. I want my students to build things with hands-on learning to understand the structure of projects and why they are helpful. I want my students to write code they know what is happening in the background. I want my students to be able to write code that is accessible so any user can use their application. I want my students to comprehend programming documentation to be able to stay ahead. I want my students to understand how user experience affects their application, and the proper layout placement and design can make their application better for the user. Lastly, I want my students to collaborate and practice teambuilding because of how significant that can be when building anything.

My passion is staying up-to-date with technology and finding new technology to implement in my instruction. The more time I spend staying ahead of the curve; the student will remain ahead of the curve. We focus on JavaScript, and it is a language that changes frequently. According to Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021 , JavaScript is the number one language used by professionals. As students become professionals, they will have an in-depth understanding of JavaScript through documentation and multiple hands-on projects, making them ready to enter the fast-paced world of technology.

As an instructor, I have used the following technology: Slides, Kaltura, CodeSandbox, and Canvas. I use Slides for interactive slide presentations. These slides allow me to embed code into the presentation that can be run and quickly be copied over from the student. It can also show differences between code examples allowing more interaction with the student. Kaltura I use to host my media. It provides video playlists, closed captions, transcripts, and embedded quizzes. CodeSandbox allows me to create a project that students can follow along with or make changes to the code synchronously. Lastly, I use Canvas. Canvas allows me to put all these tools together so that students can work through the content in a structured way. Using all these functionalities allows my students to stay engaged and be hands-on with code examples and building projects. They get to collaborate using synchronous tools and team-build while being hands-on with the code.

As I continue to grow as a learner and, most notably, an educator, I realize that technology is a tool to help assist learning, but it is more than that when it comes to programming. Suppose I were to have two groups of learners who were learning to program, and one group I taught used traditional paper and pencil and the other with technology. In that case, I can guarantee if I asked each group to create an application, the group who learned with technology would significantly outperform the others. This shows the significance of the use of technology in a topic like programming. I'm afraid I disagree with those who say technology is only a tool to assist learning, where there are some cases where it is a must. I understand that not all topics need technology, but to say technology is only a tool is misleading. I don't think the answer is black and white but more color palette with tons of choices. Those who think it is black and white are nervous about technology or don't understand it well enough to incorporate it to create a better learning environment. Those who avoid it are doing a disservice to their students as the world, and the technology it uses moves forward.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is essential to define what we want the students to learn and the skills they need to develop to prepare for professional success. As technology changes, I will change with it to make and set goals to help define what is required. I will ask myself, what language(s) are industry professionals looking for? What tools do students need to be successful in the industry? Are my students building enough projects? Do they understand the foundations of programming? Is there something new to help improve the instruction method? I will make the proper adjustments so my goals and the goals of the student are achievable. I will always put the student first, so if that means I need to put more time into understanding new technology tends to introduce to the students, I will. I feel that making sure students are prepared is the primary goal, and using technology will help that. If I ever come to the point of not using new technology, then I feel as though I have failed as an educator. I feel like keeping this philosophy will benefit the students and prepare them for success in the ever-growing world that is revolved around technology. Having this philosophy statement will allow me always to come back and keep that motivation of moving forward.

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