Is it that uncommon?
I subscribe to the EDTECH listserv and this past week received two very interesting posts that I think exemplify the true lack of understanding that most people have about the role of technology in schools.
#1 Love the word choice...exactly as it appeared in the email.
What is Power Points place in todays classrooms?
As educators in the classroom has the ability to create Power Point Presentations eliminated the need for transparency projectors? Do elementary age students seem to understand concepts better when presented using Power Point with pictures. Are teachers today using Power Point insituations when they would have used a chalk board before?
My concern for Power Point in the classroom is that the information may not be seen long enough for the students to write it down.
What??? May not be seen long enough for the students to write it down??? Ah, so we only use PowerPoint as a dreadful lecture tool....ugh.
#2
We just finished a professional development day that went very well. Teachers were enthusiastic, and while there was a healthy disagreement over various topics, ideas were raised in a productive spirit of collegiality.
I’ll post more on the workshop at a later time.
One issue that came out loud and clear was the issue of students surfing the net, downloading music or IMing each other while they should be paying attention in class.
I had a discussion with a teacher afterward which made me think about a possible solution.
If every classroom had a projection device, and every teacher’s tablet PC had access to the Internet, how great of a loss do you think it would be if student tablets were restricted to pre-defined web sites in the classroom buildings during school hours. In designated spots such as the library or the cafeteria, they would have open access, and they would always be able to access the sites that their teachers determined that they need for class.
In other words, teachers would be able to project web sites, and students would be limited to our local network and blackboard server and those sites their teachers think they might use on a regular basis such as foreign language periodicals etc.
I’m pretty sure I can do this technically. I’m just interested in what people think about the pedagogy behind it.
OK...what is wrong with this picture? A few things I think. First, sounds like another lecturing teacher. Not that the occasional lecture is necessarily bad or wrong, but if it is so important for students to be listening, then why are they allowing surfing? Or you could look at it another way: Maybe the students can in fact multitask, and we just ought to let them do what they do best.
However you look at it, these two emails jumped right out at me as examples of how we try to fit technology into old models of teaching - in this case, lecture. If it isn’t working, try looking at the mode of instruction. Maybe the technology and the instruction are simply not compatable. And the instruction needs to change.
A constructivist, student-centered way of doing things sure does seem uncommon, doesn’t it?
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