Networking and Telecommunication in Education – Week 2
Module 2 was full of very interesting material this week. There were several videos and readings that circled around the main ideas of moving past our fears to allow students the freedom to utilize technology for deep and meaningful learning. Technology not only increases student interest and participation, it is also an avenue we can use to help students discover and explore what they are passionate about (Piontek, 2010, 13:31 & Robinson, 2010, 6:34). I believe that we are moving away from a time when most people are encouraged to take a job just because it pays well or has a certain status attached to it. Instead we are moving toward the idea that everyone is unique and has special gifts to share with the world, and are adapting our classrooms to embrace this view as evidenced by the ever growing popularity of constructivist learning theories, individualized education and differentiated instruction. Used consciously, technology can be a very powerful tool for helping students learn a great deal about themselves and the world that they live in. If teachers can move beyond our fear of new technologies – our fear of no longer being the experts because students are learning new technologies faster than we are (Barseghian, 2011), we can open up to a vast world of possibilities. What is unclear to me is just how we can make the leap firmly into the ever evolving world of technology with the rapid pace it seems to be advancing and the apparent lack of resources and time holding us back. My classroom was what I would consider fairly advanced in technology, especially with the equipment I had at my disposal and the professional development and district support available for me, but even then I was far behind the times in terms of actual implementation and utilization of technology to create authentic learning experiences for my students.
References:
Barseghian, T. (2011). The 7 golden rules of using technology in schools. Retrieved from http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/07/the-seven-golden-rules-of-using-technology-in-schools/
Piontek, J. (Performer). (2010). Tedxubc – jeffrey piontek – teaching jetson children in flinstone schools. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvqy0CAMdCM&feature=player_embedded
Robinson, K. (2010). RSA Animate – Changing the Educational Paradigms [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Elisa said,
January 23, 2012 at 10:46 am
I agree about being behind the times, although I have the resources at my current school. I don’t feel like I’ve had enough training, and I definitely haven’t had enough time to go through and practice using and utilizing everything at my disposal.
When I started as a new teacher at the school I’m currently at (4 years ago), I received very little if any personalized training to catch me up to where the others teachers were. I had to ask students how to use the document camera and Smartboard, and I’m only now realizing what a drawback that was, now that I feel more caught up and competent. Still, teachers need more than just an hour of training. Just like our students, we need the time to practice what we’ve learned and get guided instruction and assistance.