Our profession--teaching, that is--is divided into camps--as usual.
What else is new under the sun after all these years??
The most current battle lines form on different sides of the technology issue. Most of the embattled agree that technology will change the way students live and work in the real world, but they don't agree on how technology impacts teaching and/or learning.
The radical pregressives envision technology as enabling constructivist pedagogies empowering learners to work collaboratively to construct knowledge. They tend to view technology as an intrinsic medium rather than a supplementary tool.
The traditionalists envision technology as a potential threat to the security of their role as classroom managers and the authority of the lectern. While they allow that technology provides tools useful for teaching and learning, they seek to apply the technologies to traditional patterns and strategies of teacher-directed teaching.
Oversimplification? Maybe a little. But it's a starting place for debate!
What thinkest thou?
5 comments:
I think that technology will be a boon to the pedagogy. The discourse has already taken off if we listen closely to our students--from k to graduate level. Our students are very savvy and the younger students are becoming even more so. Have you seen the "games" little ones play with? Very techie--very educational as well.
That pictue of the crystal ball sitting on top of a square is representative of the digital divide - those who roll with the flow and those who are like an old block and don't move. I think I'm a little of both. Change can be scary.
I am on the side that thinks technology is a great tool to promote constructivist learning theories.
It won't let me post to the blog. It only lets me comment. I'm sure I did something wrong but I'm not sure what that is. Below is my post:
I decided I would start a "remue-minenges" (brain-storm) to consider the differences. I figure a blog is sort of like thinking aloud, so I thought I would share and then see any of the fellow bloggers can come up with other ideas of how teaching needs to change in a digital environment.
I can't see when quiet students are stumped or upset or frustrated.
It is often asynchronous so I'm not always there exactly when they are having their difficulties.
Lectures don't transfer well. I don't have the board and can't elaborate based on the students feedback or lack thereof.
Students' frustration is an issue if they don't have experience with technology.
I use color coding to grade students papers and this allows them to see weak areas simply by scrolling through their text.
On-line testing forces me to use more application questions.
Group discussions have possibilities , but I haven't mastered them.
Individual discussions will all me to build a course portfolio w/ comments for each student.
More one on one via e-mail then possible in real-time (thank goodness I'm a fast typer).
I was frustrated in the classroom because I didn't have but one outdated computer and I saw how motivating it was to kids. If I could have had at least five computers in the classroom, I might have continued teaching longer. My kids loved working on the computer and one was almost counterproductive because some kids gave up trying to get there. I welcome technology in the learning process. When I see how much my grandkids can do with computers and I feel so much behind the times, I realize the potential that technology holds for learning. The workforce is changing so rapidly that kids will need those skills or they will not survive in the workplace. Technology in the classrooms was so slow to come, but technology in the workplace is growing by leaps and bounds. I have seen a tremendous change in the way we do business in the last ten years. It is hard to keep up with the changes. It can be very scary.
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