As I review my previous posts, I notice an obvious tone that tends to be, in a sense, anti-technology. It wasn't that I was necessarily against all of technology in the classroom, but I would be suspect of swinging the pendulum too far and wrote of my hesitation when hearing and reading about all the great things technology could bring.
Well, I have changed my tune, to a degree. I think I was justified in my feelings with videos and stories about the negative effects of multi-tasking, the crisis in South Korea with how technology can become an addiction and the dangers that being online poses for today's youths.
But now I can also see how many tools there are available to educators and students alike and that not only the benefits (online lesson plans for easy access, podcasts, teacher conferences across the world) but the variety that is out there.
This can be a bit overwhelming. What do I use? How do I keep everything in order? What if I am using an online tool when there is something better out there?
I suppose that is where a lot of the fun and excitement lies, that there is always another "scratch" another "webquest" another gadget that is ready to be discovered and assist in the education of, well, everyone.
So, yes I like technology in learning a lot more now than I did before. I think it is due to the seemingly endless possibilities about there. And now I am ready to go!
Now, who's looking to hire an educator with a parital Instruction and Design M.ed?
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Equal classroom access to the digital world
There are numerous examples of technology not being shared: TV remote, video game controller and an i-pod, just to name a few. So it could be easy for an educator, without realizing it, to monopolize technology in the classroom and think that there is equal access for all.
Just like anything else in the classroom, the notion of fairness and equal time must be applied to access to the digital world. Teachers need to be aware of who is using the computer and for how long and to ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate. If there aren't devices to go around and the classroom is formed into groups, then a timed rotation must be implemented. There are some people that learn better by watching and some better by doing, but there can only be benefits to students being in the driver seat, so to speak. By allowing everyone to have hands-on time to the classroom technology, the learning experience and active involvement in the subject greatly increases.
As teachers, it is important that the monopolization of technology does not enter the classroom.
Just like anything else in the classroom, the notion of fairness and equal time must be applied to access to the digital world. Teachers need to be aware of who is using the computer and for how long and to ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate. If there aren't devices to go around and the classroom is formed into groups, then a timed rotation must be implemented. There are some people that learn better by watching and some better by doing, but there can only be benefits to students being in the driver seat, so to speak. By allowing everyone to have hands-on time to the classroom technology, the learning experience and active involvement in the subject greatly increases.
As teachers, it is important that the monopolization of technology does not enter the classroom.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Technology in the Classroom? Only With Some Balance.
When I was in grade school, up until 4th grade, I was enrolled in a Waldorf School System. It's an entirely different teaching philosophy, one that I won't get into here. One thing among many that I remember is that my grade-school teacher (the same teacher followed the same class up until 12th grade graduation) hated technology. I can not stress that enough. Calculators were frowned upon. Weather reports on the radio or on television was scoffed at. And digital watches, like a Casio, were a huge sign of the end of the world.
This is an extreme example but I wouldn't be surprised if it still exists, even in some of our public schools. And that is sad.
My philosophy on technology in the classroom is that it must be balanced with traditional learning. When we watched this video in our first class last week, one thing that struck me is the little girl holding up a sampling of her cursive writing in one hand and the question "How will this help me?" in the other. Yes, it is hard to imagine that technology as we know it today will one day disappear or collapse, but there are numerous situations and benefits to learning the "old stuff".
I have encountered quite a few people that have no idea how to write out a check--everything they do is done online. Maybe I'm old school, but technology isn't here to necessarily replace everything that has happened in the past (yet), but to co-exist, compliment and create a balance between what is old and what is new.
This is an extreme example but I wouldn't be surprised if it still exists, even in some of our public schools. And that is sad.
My philosophy on technology in the classroom is that it must be balanced with traditional learning. When we watched this video in our first class last week, one thing that struck me is the little girl holding up a sampling of her cursive writing in one hand and the question "How will this help me?" in the other. Yes, it is hard to imagine that technology as we know it today will one day disappear or collapse, but there are numerous situations and benefits to learning the "old stuff".
I have encountered quite a few people that have no idea how to write out a check--everything they do is done online. Maybe I'm old school, but technology isn't here to necessarily replace everything that has happened in the past (yet), but to co-exist, compliment and create a balance between what is old and what is new.
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