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Curriculum Change Plan: Part 6 – Technology and Innovation Plan
Technology Concepts
For the purpose of my curriculum change plan, my proposed topic is, Incorporating
multiculturalism as a means for increasing self-discovery and empowerment. Therefore, the two
technology concepts that relate most to my curriculum change plan are digital citizenship and
virtual field trips.
Lauricella et al. (2020) describes digital citizenship as consistently establishing online
standards that responsible, appropriate, and encourages the use of technology. Nine components
of digital citizenship consists of digital security and privacy, digital etiquette, digital commerce,
digital rights and responsibility, digital access, digital health and welfare, digital fluency, digital
communication and collaboration, and digital law. It is important to note that incorporating
digital citizenship into the educational environment correlates to incorporating character
education, but digitally.
As mentioned in part five of my curriculum change plan, one of the student-centered
approaches that I intend to incorporate is social-emotional learning (SEL). SEL teaches students
how to develop social awareness, responsible decision-making skills, self-management,
relationship skills, and self-awareness (Villalba, 2023). SEL was selected as one of the student-
centered approaches because as teachers begin to incorporate more diversity and inclusion in the
curriculum, students will need SEL skills to better handle topics that will be sensitive, awkward,
or controversial in nature. Also, since SEL virtually teaches students about ethics and digital
citizenship teaches them netiquette, which is internet ethics, educators will be instructed to
simultaneously teach students both, as the two concepts consists of ideals that correlate and
overlap. Overall, the goal would be for teachers to introduce SEL and digital citizenship to
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students at the beginning of each course, as well as reiterate those concepts and ideas throughout
the duration of the course; especially when new lessons are being taught.
Titus 3:1-2 (NLT) expresses that believers in Christ should be good citizens with positive
attitudes. We should do good work, be obedient, and avoid getting into fights or slandering the
names of others. If proficiently employed, SEL and digital citizenship will help educators with
applying God’s Word in today society as well as the classroom.
Because there are some learning outcomes and experiences that cannot be duplicated in
the learning environment, the use of virtual field trips have become a vital tool for educators to
utilize in the classroom (Shustack, 2022). According to Han (2020), virtual field trips are used to
mimic actual field trips through computer-based simulations. With the use of this technology, the
user is allowed to vicariously involve themselves in the environment of the intended field trip
location. As a result, virtual field trips provide students with the opportunity to obtain a greater
understanding of content knowledge via a virtual platform (Shustack, 2022). In addition to
students gaining a deeper comprehension of concepts, Delacruz (2019) states that virtual field
trips also aids students with developing better collaborative skills due to them interacting with
multiple individuals throughout the world.
Although Shustack (2022) provides a great point as to why virtual field trips are
important tools for educators, one reason that was not mentioned was funding. In my district,
unless field trips are being paid for by Title One funds, teachers have to vigorously fundraise to
get money for field trips. Often times that would include them having to pay for transportation,
bus drivers, gas, the event, and food. Since this expense is not always feasible, virtual field trips
will be an option that I would give my teachers. The overall idea would be for educators to take
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their students on virtual field trips, preferably at the end of a unit or important lesson, so that it
could be used to reinforce previously learned concepts.
With the implantation of any idea, program, or event, there will always be positives and
negatives. Some potential advantages of digital citizenship include students learning the proper
netiquette guidelines that will assist them with being better digital citizens, understanding how to
locate creditable online sources, fostering positive self-awareness and communication skills,
overcoming cyberbullying, teaching how to protect privacy and passwords, comprehending why
oversharing is dangerous, and understanding the rules of plagiarism and copyright (Button,
2021). However, just as digital citizenship can teach students about the downfalls of
cyberbullying, privacy, copyright, oversharing, and plagiarism, there is still a potential for some
students to ignore the warnings and negatively participate in these activities anyway. Also,
trolling and ineffective internet connections can be an additional disadvantages to digital
citizenship.
With virtual field trips, some advantages would be students being able to collaborate with
individuals globally, gain a greater understanding of concepts, and visit places they would
probably never be able to visit in their lifetime (Shustack, 2022). Conversely, potential
disadvantages of virtual field trips could be poor internet connections, cause motion sickness,
social isolation, and collision in the classroom (Han, 2020). Moreover, if students are overly
exposed to virtual field trips, it is possible for them to confuse fiction with reality, lack
innovation, develop an addiction, and acquire eye damage.
Models of Curriculum Innovation
The problem-solving model is an organized methodology that recognizes evidence-based
instructional interventions, assesses the efficacy of interferences implemented with the student,
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regularly gathers information to observe students’ growth, and evaluates students’ strengths and
weaknesses (Prem, 2020). However, based on Button (2021), the problem solving model is
founded on the theory that originality is included in the problem-solving process. Five
characteristics of the problem-solving model include: one, a need is identified, two, the need is
translated into a problem which is then diagnosed, three, diagnosed leads to the search for
solutions, four, possible solutions are evaluated – the innovation which provides the best
solution is then tested for its effectiveness, and five, the innovation is implemented.
When the problem-solving model is effectively employed in the classroom, students
actively engage in solving their own problems, as well as examine methods to solve issues
concerning the world (Button, 2021; Prem, 2020). Additionally, the problem-solving model
encompasses a variety of independent variables that impact students’ academic outcomes, and it
is one of the key learning components that students are required to obtain.
Pragmatism is the educational philosophy that I selected to use for my curriculum change
plan. According to Button (2021) and Grigoriev (2022), pragmatism influences current
curriculum change efforts by one, incorporating reasoning and rationality in solving problems in
the educational environment as well as the world, and two, applying the concept that all curricula
should follow a scientific model as it could aid students with better understanding the real world.
Primarily because pragmatism promotes a democratic learning environment, establishes effective
communication, efficiently solves issues, and makes learning easier to grasp (Synytsia, 2020).
Overall, the problem-solving model will effortlessly integrate into my educational philosophy of
pragmatism as both are rooted in rationality and reasoning to solve real-world problems, through
the use of the scientific model.
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As mentioned above, there are various advantages and disadvantages of the problem-
solving model. Some advantages are that the problem-solving model assists educators with
creating a democratic learning environment, assist students with establishing effective
communication, teaches children how to efficiently solve problems, and fosters an academic
environment that makes learning easier to understand (Synytsia, 2020). Conversely, two
disadvantages of the problem-solving model include one, students can get confused when trying
to problems and answers, and two, problem-solving has the potential to create fixed techniques
for addressing simple problems (Hopkins, 2019).
Recent Technology Research Study
Button (2021) describes digital citizenship as a self-empowering, collaborative, and
creative application of technology in both a personal and educational environment. Additionally,
digital citizenship is often referred to as the responsible use of technology, as well as the
acceptable norms and behavior that one should practice or display while online. If effectively
employed, digital citizenship will assist students and educators with fostering perspectives and
skills that are needed to cultivate an ethical, responsible, and safe digital lifestyle that is
innovative, involved, and inspired. In a slight contrast, Pangrazio and Sefton-Green (2021)
defines digital citizenship as “the right to participate in society online” (p. 18).
The theoretical basis for this study is to reinforce how digital citizenship, digital rights,
and digital literacy can assist individuals with understanding their rights online, how to digitally
be productive citizens, and how to properly comprehend media literacy (Pangrazio and Sefton-
Green, 2021). Overall, the article, Digital rights, digital citizenship, and digital literacy: What’s
the difference, classified three responses to address difficulties related to digital life issues that
individuals tend to become exposed to, who are they, and their social realities and interactions
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(Pangrazio and Sefton-Green, 2021). Those identifiers include digital citizenship, digital rights,
and digital literacy. Collectively, these three conceived how people learn to interact in societies
that are digital. Pangrazio and Sefton-Green (2021) explains the efficiency of the three elements
by concentrating on the practical, philosophical, and ethnical challenges cultivated by the
restrictions of human agency, and datafication. Additionally, the article illustrates how digital
citizenship, digital rights, and digital literacy addresses issues with various stakeholders,
challenges in political idiom, policy, and daily social living, and discovering the inconsistent
uses of the three elements. Lastly, the article discusses a sequence of theoretical and hands-on
“action points” that has the potential to maximize answers that will be beneficial to people and
society.
This article applies to my current curriculum change plan topic as it simplifies what
digital citizenship means, “the right to participate in society online” (Pangrazio and Sefton-
Green, 2021, p. 18). By adding digital citizenship into my plan, the goal is while students are
learning about diversity and inclusion, when it is time for them to use digital tools to reinforce
taught concepts, they will approach the sensitive and controversial topics using respect, effective
communication, collaboration, and adhere to the proper rules of netiquette. The article details
how the use of digital citizenship can assist with this, as well as address questions that
individuals might occur when exploring a digital society.
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References
Button, L. (2021). Curriculum essentials: A journey. Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike.
Delacruz, S. (2019). Building digital literacy bridges: Connecting cultures and promoting global
citizenships in elementary classrooms through school-based virtual field trips. Tech
Trends, 63(4), 428-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-018-0350-1
Grigoriev, S. (2022). Reason, language, history: Pragmatism’s contested promise.
Metaphilosophy, 53(4), 431-445. https://doi.org/10.1111/meta.12575
Han, I. (2020). Immersive virtual field trips and elementary students’ perceptions. British
Journal of Educational Technology, 52(1), 179-195. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12946
Hopkins, S. (2019). The advantages and disadvantages of problem-solving practice when
learning basic addition facts. Problem Solving for Teaching and Learning. (1st ed.).
Routledge.
Lauricella, A., Herdzina, J., and Robb, M. (2020). Early childhood educators’ teaching of digital
citizenship competencies. Computers & Education, 158, 1-9.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103989
New Living Translation. (2015). Gateway Bible: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=titus+3&version=NLT
Pangrazio, L. and Sefton-Green, J. (2021). Digital rights, digital citizenship, and digital literacy:
What’s the difference?. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, 10(1), 15-
27. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2021.1.616
Prem, N. (2020). Problem solving model strategies for enhancing integrated process skills among
secondary level. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(15), 2808-2813.
https://www.jcreview.com/admin/Uploads/Files/61dc2ca57649a4.83414233.pdf
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Shustack, L. (2022). ”Home sweet home” taking a virtual field trip to conduct home safety and
fall risk assessments. Nurse Educator, 47(1), 9-9. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001054
Synytsia, A. (2020). Education as a means of affirming democracy values in John Dewey’s
pragmatism: From today’s standpoint. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 11(1),
30-41. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2020.1.30.41
Villalba, P. (2023). 7 student-centered learning examples with technology. NearPodBlog.
Retrieved February 18, 2024, https://nearpod.com/blog/student-centered-learning/
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