The first day of class opened with us thinking about and drawing our ideal classroom, keeping in mind the use of technology in that room. To be perfectly honest I hadn't really ever thought in depth about the role of technology in my future as a teacher and perhaps had even avoided it (due to my lack of know-how) prior to the beginning of this class. When I drew my classroom I focuses more on the layout and functionality of that room. I wanted the tables to be easily moveable so that I could continually rearrange the room. I wanted windows to allow for natural light. And after I though about it I decided I would add computers and a projector to the room to add that aspect of technology should I so want it.
However, my thoughts regarding having that technology in the classroom continued to change as the class and the rest of the day progressed. What are some of the pros and cons to allowing various things like laptops, iPads, smart-boards and other possible tools into the classroom. How much do these tools either benefit or hinder education? My first thought was the distraction aspect. How much would students observe and understand of a carefully crafted assignment if throughout the entire lesson they were surfing the web or playing games on these tools that I couldn't monitor adequately. The other main issue that I've been mulling over is the use of computers for english assignments. As an english teacher I want to make sure that students are able to learn the nuts and bolts of the english language and the ability to construct coherent papers without spell check recognizing all of the mistakes and fixing them before the student has had a chance to recognize what it is they've done incorrect and fix it on their own.
How beneficial can these new technologies actually be anyway? As I continue writing I think back to the article that we read written by Larry Cuban. Are computers and iPods simply the next fad in education? I've been thinking back to the use of technology in my own high school education and find both pros and cons. having a computer lab was extremely useful for completing essays or doing work for research assignments. However, I distinctly remember reading various books online that had nothing to do with class, or playing some game for the duration of class. I also remember my junior year history teacher. He took using technology to the next level, he had our class watch the entire miniseries "Band of Brothers" during class time. I know that I learned very little that year and had catching up to do the next year.
This brings me to another point, teachers can abuse the use of technology. Instead of actively learning about World War II my junior year I sat in front of a television and watched a show, my teacher definitely abused the use of technology. How will new technology that teachers can abuse plus the added effects of distractions on said technologies allow for room for true education and learning? How can educators and administrators counteract these negatives? There is still much to be debated about this topic but in reflecting upon this new shift in education I find inclined to believe that good old fashion pencil, paper, and books are here to stay.
I can definitely relate with your memories from high school. I clearly remember spending a whole English class exchanging silly e-mails with the boy I liked, while I have no idea what that class might have been about. I also remember using library computers for distinctly non-academic reading/web surfing. I think you pose really good questions springing from such concerns, and I hope we'll be able to grapple with them productively in this class.
ReplyDeleteI find it so interesting that your teacher used Band of Brothers and yet you didn't learn anything. Clearly he didn't grab a wonderful opportunity for teaching and learning. I myself watched Band of Brothers for the first time only last year, and have subsequently watched it probably ten times, and in the process I have learned a LOT about World War II... but only by doing background reading and research about the context. For example, when anyone mentions the Battle of the Bulge, I immediately imagine those poor troops freezing for weeks in a cold, unforgiving winter, sleeping in holes in the ground, subsisting on minimal food and lacking warm clothing. I have vivid visuals to go with the knowledge that Operation Market Garden was a massive failure. But those details are not so much told as implied in the course of the series. What your teacher could have done was taken each episode as an opportunity to discuss that aspect of the war writ large. In that sense, it could have been a marvelous use of technology. It sounds like it was anything but.
All of which to say is we must be much more thoughtful and considered in our use of technology than your teacher was. Hopefully this class can help us achieve that goal!
Between your posting, Catherine, and Anne's response, we get a nice framing of the hazards and the potential of the use of video in the classroom. You both seem to suggest that video, properly contexualized, can make ideas/events more vivid, and that we as teachers can use it to build anticipation and create a certain kind of dynamism and even drama. Of course there are occasional moments where everyone needs a change of pace, and longer video clips can provide that, but in general I like short video clips, liberally interrupted with questions and opportunities for students to make meaning.
ReplyDeleteSince we're talking about this, I'll add that the Library of Congress' American Memory collection (a great compendium of images, primary source docs and audio video on a variety of themes) has a nice page for teachers on using such resources in class...maybe there'll be something here of interest.
I feel like at some point or another most of us had teachers that would abuse the use of technology to have almost a "day off" and I think that is where the problems come in. For me I think that using technology has to be clearly thought out where you have a goal take away message for your students before you venture into the new technology, but that could be said for any lesson plan whether including technology or not.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea Jeff had about using shorter clips instead of whole movies to grab your students attention with information in a different format and give them something to connect your material too.
I also like the idea of using shorter clips. There is sometimes something to be said for watching an entire film, but at the middle/high school level, I think there needs to be frequent pausing for discussion. Too often the only accompaniment to the video is a worksheet with basic questions about the plotline or asking for factual answers to superficial questions. I have even seen teachers show videos without previewing them first, which sometimes leads to showing very age-inappropriate material in class!
ReplyDeleteI like Jeff's idea of using photos as well, especially in conjunction with the activity we did with Ammerah from DFS. Sometimes it's really surprising to see the gulf between what people assume after seeing an image and what is really the case. (Have you heard about the true story of the famous photo of the soldier kissing a woman after WWII?)