The following are passages taken from two separate interviews that were conducted with two experienced college professors. Both interviews involved the discussion of using technologies in the classroom. The information that was revealed through this process is interesting and worth pursuing further. The analyses represent my interpretations of what was said during the videos and as such could be understood differently by different people.
Teaching with Technologies |
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| Excerpts 1. “Workshops are available on a monthly basis for us to sign up for; many of the tools that we are using every day for our grading or our delivery of the material. It depends on the subject that you teach what tool is going to be most beneficial. I was thrilled that they taught me how to use the (electronic) whiteboard or some short cuts on PowerPoint. Things are always evolving so it’s important that they offer that as different software packages become available on the computer as well.” 2. “If more technologies were being used on the job then I would incorporate them in the classroom. That’s the number one consideration. Number two. If there were any kind of definitive research that technology is the answer to all education then sure I would start using it.” 3. “I tried some technologies where I would broadcast my lecture in the event that a student couldn’t make it to class but I found that they weren’t being as responsible as they should be with paying attention to those details. I offered the opportunity to post things and they could download it on their i-phone and listen to the lecture on their way home on the bus but I didn’t find that my class really…well they didn’t do it. Ultimately I put a quiz at the end of that podcast and presented it the next day in class and nobody had ever seen those questions.” 4. “The different kinds of technologies you see in the classroom, students are generally ambivalent toward them. There is an initial cool factor if you’re using something that is whiz-bang and they’ll say ‘that’s really neat’ but sometimes it even distracts them from the point you’re trying to make and the actual learning they have to do. And once they’re over that cool factor technology just becomes another tool that a teacher can use to try to have the students learn what they need to learn.” |
Analysis 1. Many schools, including this one, are doing a very good job with professional development when it comes to the everyday use of “everyday” technologies. This excerpt speaks to the technologies used for managing courses and course delivery. It also raises the issue of “evolving” or new technologies and alludes to the importance of keeping current. In other words, schools need to keep on doing what they are doing and expanding their training sessions for teachers. 2. First, schools often rely on “top-down” decision making when it comes to implementing technologies in the classroom. Administrators need to pay close attention to what is happening in the workplace in order to make appropriate decisions in the classroom. Teachers (like this one) are often the most knowledgeable source on what that technology is. Second, more research in the area of educational technology needs to be done and disseminated to teachers. 3. Teachers, such as this one, are trying to incorporate technologies in the classroom but sometimes run into difficulties. Perhaps professional development (training) on how to best incorporate (not only use) these technologies is needed and would prove beneficial for teaching and learning. 4. We need to make sure that we are implementing technologies for the right reasons and in the right way. Too often we, as teachers, jump onto the band-wagon and try out new technologies just for the sake of it. This teacher describes the possible affects of doing just that. We need to be careful when deciding on using any technology for teaching. But how do assess the value of using technology in the classroom without getting sucked into the “trial and error” method, particularly in light of the fact that the outcome could be negative? |
My sincere “THANK YOU” goes out to these two individuals who so graciously participated in this task.
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