In going through the various examples of technology in the classroom, I found Cases 3 & 6 to be good examples of some ways students can use technology. Case 3 demonstrated how technology can be used to facilitate problem-based learning activities, helping to minimize, as Teacher A notes, the amount of traditional, transmissive teaching needing to be done. In doing so, it allows students to construct their own knowledge particularly as the activity shown in the example was a problem-based one that challenged students to not only identify and verify scientific concepts, but to also devise their own testing method using the equipment available. In addition, it allowed students to develop skills in many areas from scientific (usage of computers and lab equipment), social (collaborative learning environment), and analytic (troubleshooting equipment set ups and reviewing of data).
From this though, two questions did arise, one of which was address in the interview with Teacher C in case 6. In Case 6, technology is used as a way to facilitate more avenues of creativity by leveraging all the ways that computers and tablets can take various inputs (voice or picture/video) and synthesize various outputs (podcasts, slideshows/powerpoints, edited video). The issue that Teacher C discusses is that of time and professional development as when he was asked how he learned how to use all the various programs, he lamented that much of it was done on his own with some provided by the district. While teachers are granted regular prep blocks, it seems that there is more needed (and unbroken sessions of time) for the planning and implementation of these programs. It is and always will be an issue but discussions about the realistic and pragmatic time needed and provided to teachers to work with these technologies will always be necessary.
The other question that Case 3 touched on was that of whether technology’s ability to remove more menial components of tasks is a detriment to skill development. Teacher A mentions that measuring lengths and angles and using other tools are certainly skills in their own right, but also rightly points out that technology proves more time efficient by removing the more mundane tasks so that students can quickly get to the concepts at hand. Developing fundamental skills may or may not necessary to accomplish a certain task (ie- one does not need to know how to develop film in a dark room to take a photo), but it does help to provide a depth of understanding. Perhaps one of the approaches to this issue is to have a department discussion on how to develop these skills in earlier grades and transition towards more complex technology use in the higher grades.
I feel that these considerations are useful when thinking about how to integrate technology with any past activities or methods that teachers felt comfortable with.
The issue of time for teachers to explore technology programs and tools is a challenging one. I have attended two large educational technology conferences over the past few years, one in Florida and one in Niagara Falls, and although it has been 2 and 3 years since the conferences, I still have copious amounts of notes that sit untouched in my tablet because I simply don’t have time to go back and review the apps and programs that were introduced, despite knowing that there are probably some excellent programs in those notes. In order for teachers to be able to portray confidence in technology to our students so as to encourage them to engage, teachers need to have opportunities to develop comfort and confidence without feeling overwhelmed or burdened in the process.
Hi Lawrence,
I am interested by your comment “Perhaps one of the approaches to this issue is to have a department discussion on how to develop these skills in earlier grades and transition towards more complex technology use in the higher grades.” I had not thought of technology in these terms before (other than the fact that keyboarding skills were part of the grade 4 curriculum in my district), but I think this is an idea that should be looked at. If educators within a school can look at new media literacy skills and decide which skills seem appropriate for which grade level/fit which curriculum, then it would seem that this might be a good way to approach using technology to effectively enhance learning within the classroom. This would not mean that a teacher would be limited to a certain technology, but that students within a certain grade would be exposed to/become proficient with a certain type of digital technology or skill associated with digital technology. The one significant downside I can see to this is the fact that technologies change so rapidly, the learning outcomes would have to be reviewed and adapted every year to keep up-to-date. However, this review and adaptation piece would be happening regardless, so it would be a great opportunity for colleagues to get together to discuss new programs, applications, and skill development as a team.