Recently I read a great blog regarding the Web 2.0 video “The Machine is Us/ing Us,” a personal favorite of mine, and I was impressed by his reactions to how his colleagues view the inevitable integration of technology into the educational arena. Michael says;
These professors with too much technology at their disposal are the ones who need to lead the way, same with the teachers in all classrooms. As the video suggests, technology is learning from us, and our students are the ones who are going to create the next definition of technology. If we are not teaching them how to use technology, how to appreciate it and utilize it effectively as a means of literacy and living, we are not preparing them to create the next definition of technology. There is no use in turning a blind eye to technology, as Michael suggests so many teachers seem to try to do, we are in a time where the machine is using us to move forward, and our students seem to be embracing it. We need to do this as well to adequately prepare them to serve and be served by the machine.
2 responses so far ↓
1
Dave M
// Nov 22, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I am not necessarily sure that we need to “baptize” faculty in technology by dunking them in a river. I have been working with a teacher for an online course we are developing and she was adamant that we not “make her use a computer.” She loves teaching and is passionate about it and quite respected at our school, but the school needed to put her course online because five out-of-state students needed it and they take their program online.
She is quite good at teaching already but we did agree to at least get her to use email to retrieve assignments. Keeping the students in mind though, we are going to hook her up with a lavaliere microphone so we can record her course lectures as serve them up as a podcast, and open up the course management system as a download area and supplemental collaboration site for he students. She won’ have to do a thing and … most importantly … she’s comfortable. I think there is something to be said about not trying to reinvent the wheel.
I wholeheartedly agree that turning a blind eye is the wrong thing, but we need to encourage them to be willing to give in part of the way, as this instructor is doing in letting us record her classes and organize her handouts. She appreciates the role tech plays in her student’s lives but is emphatic that it is not for her. But he was willing to let us be creative with her in finding a solution.
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brendanchambers
// Nov 23, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Dave,
I can see what you mean… we need not indoctrinate those who do not feel comfortable, that only serves to turn people away. To continue with the biblical metaphor, “the best way to share the gospel is to live it out”. That being said, you seem to be doing a great job with someone who is hesitant. And like you mentioned, I don’t see a correlation between not using technology in your classroom and being a good teacher, obviously the means is too new.
However, I would argue that, as time goes on, every teacher is going to need to rethink and tweak things to incorporate some aspect of technology. Just as your example has done. I believe that stagnant teaching leads to stagnant learning, and for someone to retire after 30 years in the field and show a series of worksheets that were used every year of their career does not impress me. But there are many teachers who feel comfortable and confident teaching the same thing year in and year out and I wonder how those teachers will take to technology. Will they be open to at least make the connection to technology, as your example demonstrates, or will some, just like when new curriculum is introduced, insist that the old has worked and can continue to do so just as effectively?
Thanks for the great comment!
Brendan
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