Sometimes when I think about technology and education I get kind of grouchy and start ruminating on 'the good old days' - after all, former ways of teaching seemed to work just fine for lots of people - why not the current generation? This is what Heidi Hayes Jacobs refers to as 'raising a cry of angst' about what technology has done to our world.
Then I remember to consider what a mess has been made of our planet earth - a mess made at least partly by people educated in those same former ways of teaching. Maybe we ought to try some new ways after all!
I just got back from a four-day curriculum-focused workshop for World Language teachers. We used technology frequently and to great effect during the workshop. Nothing fancy, just very useful technology. First, we immediately established a closed facebook group of participants so we could keep in touch easily once the workshop ended, to provide support with each other's curriculums. Second, we discovered the ease with which we could find authentic materials from countries whose languages we teach. I wanted to find materials in French about refugees - distribution maps showing what continents and countries they are from; videoclips of refugees talking about their experiences; posters celebrating International Day of Refugees, etc. No problem! Pinterest enabled me to locate resources and then pin them in a convenient form to access while teaching.
So actually I have become a big fan of technology and education. Used properly it enhances my practice as a teacher.
And that is exactly how it can be used...for a specific purpose...to provide info, communicate with others, using tools and information to deepen learning! But, I'm wondering if it is getting redundant to talk about technology and education or integrating tech and education? Shouldn't we use the tools you describe as a matter of course?
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that it would be great to use these tools without looking upon them as something 'special' or 'other'. However the reality is that the life of a teacher is so ridiculously busy one rarely feels calm enough to settle down and learn something new. That's why summer is so valuable. I was lucky to have professional development available at a time and venue possible for me and it's a great coincidence that this technology-affirming class is occurring this summer too. Professional development is neglected in most schools.
ReplyDeleteIt seems we should be able to use the tools as a matter of course to get the job done. It might be just a matter of treating the tools as a genre and teaching folks to ask what genres are available that will enhance my communication (input and output). It's a bit like chosing whether a biography, bio-poem, facebook page or straightup research paper is the way to go when reporting out on a key person in history. What genre will enhance my message? Your examples are strong solutions for your groups various communication needs. Now to teach students to do the same:-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! I think that we are so busy, that we simply revert back to the "old teaching" ways because it is simpler and some of us may have the mindset of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." But actually it is broke.
ReplyDeleteI took a class on how to teach the Plugged into Reading program that was developed by Janet Allen. The technology that the teacher says she uses is just amazing. Everyday the students are doing something that involves technology. I think that this is the way that we are going to have to start teaching our classes. I was team teaching with another teacher and I would do the "hook" at the beginning of every class. The students LOVED this! I would find something that would be related to the topic that we were talking about. It could be a poem, a video, pictures, etc. One day, I didn't do a "hook" because it was a continuation from the day before and some of the asked, "Where's the hook?" They actually looked forward to the hook each day.
Technology could be used for great things. We just need to figure out what to do with it.
I agree - 'it is broke!'
ReplyDeleteMost kids simply see no connection between what they're learning in school and 'real life'.