I was immediately engaged when reading the article, and the introductory paragraph asks "How will schools respond?". It is such a thought provoking question to pose because although technology is all around us, in my opinion the power of using it as a fully functioning instructional tool is just emerging.
Rosen's description of the young children in the first paragraphs on how their adaptability and ease in using technology is evident in our every day lives. We no longer have to 'go' to a computer lab to see our students using technology. Students use technology walking down a hallway, at a grocery store parking lot, restaurants - no lab necessary. In my case, I walk the college and university hallways and I see students with headphones in ear, probably listening to music, and typing or reading away on their phone, all simultaneously. Larry Rosen could not have been more accurate as he writes "Children and youth in this new generation are defined by their technology and media use, their love of electronic communication, and their need to multitask." I agree that students love the immediacy of electronic communication. It is such a marvel to have a question, type that same question on a search engine Google, FireFox, etc. and get an answer in seconds.
My favorite portion of the article is summed up in this one sentence "The point is not to 'teach with technology' but to use technology to convey content more powerfully and efficiently." I resoundingly agree with this statement. I was working with one of my professors recently and demonstrating to her some of the resources available to her and her students. Her reaction afeter viewing a 3D animation on dna replication was that of excitement and enthusiasm. She immediately downloaded it to her zip drive so she could play it for her lecture on that topic. The instructor explained that this was an amazing resource to have and commented on how lucky today's students are. When she was taking the same class during her undergrad, she had to mentally conceptualize every single biological step with the use of very little color in textbooks or her professors' yellow-tinged transparency.
I agree we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
That was an interesting point when the author expresses to not to teach with technology but to convey content on the computer. Teachings should be much different but instead of having them do worksheets or poster boards, have them do it on the computer, iPads or SmartBoards. They will most likely be more engaged in what they are learning.
ReplyDeleteYes the question posed was very provoking because, it made you step back and really have to think about the use of technology in the classrooms as an instructional tool. The examples given by Rosen was truly a wake up call for educators who may not want to delve into technological use in their classes. Unfortunately, we must change with the times, and meet the needs of the students who sit in our classrooms. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, technology is all around us, at home, at work, while we drive, every where!!! I took yesterday my sister to the doctor, and while we were waiting, there were like 4 teenagers listening music through their smartphone, and others playing video games, others texting. It's funny that now people consider "google" as a verb!!! When people is trying to find a meaning of a word for instance, they say "Google it", I don't remember if I heard this on a movie or in a conference, but someone said it's "Googleable".
ReplyDeleteTechnology has many applications in the classroom. As teachers we need to use it. Your point were you used what you learned to teach someone else is what I need to do for a professional development. I feel that if I don't use it I will lose it.
ReplyDeleteTechnology has advanced so much in such a short amount of time, it is no wonder students see technology as fluid while I am still adapting to technology that came out a year ago. The trick is to get them to see that it can be used as part of a formal education as well.
ReplyDeleteYour right! With each student being such a different learner and administration asking us to support all learning stiles, Technology is an excellent way to accomplish this with our visual learners. Reading about an interesting topic is one thing, talking about it is also interesting, but being able to see it (specially if we wouldn't be able to see it in person) is absolutely exciting!
ReplyDeleteI always try to use technology help me teach my class, but I don't allow to let the technology be the focus. I think that is what people assume that we need to do in the classroom. I had mentioned in the class the first day that I was given an overhead projector my first year teaching 5 years ago. I didn't see the point of using it, but they said that I had to have one because I was going to be using for sure one day. I never used it of course. My perception was different from my colleagues. I saw it as outdated technology, and they didn't. Generations do change over the years.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I like how you point out the use of available resources.
ReplyDeleteYou say we still have a long way to go, could you imagine what's yet to come? WOW!
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