Materials and Methods
“The most dazzling materials in technology are only as effective as the instructional method. The method must be selected to employ the materials to full advantage; otherwise, focus, cohesion, and intellectual rigor are at risk. The newest technology can be used merely to carry out teacher-centered response. Relying on the materials to give direction is like relying on an airplane alone to get you where you want to go. An airplane needs not only a compass but a map, not to mention a pilot.”
Technology is a material. For too long we’ve thought of it as a method or a strategy, as some love to call it. If we bemoan the impact of technology, let us look at the methods. Has it been used to enhance ‘old-school’ ways of teaching? Or has it been used in a constructivist environment? We’ve been using the technology along side the least effective methods. Research does show that constructivist methods and technology have more impact on student achievement than didactic methods and technology. Relying on the technology and not the method to give direction to the instruction will always fail. That is why we are in the ‘cart-before-the-horse’ mess we are in.
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