Technology in the
classroom seems to be a topic that is being discussed more and more. There are
those who love it and those who detest it. So what’s my personal opinion? I'd
like to think I'm Switzerland on this topic, neutral. I think that embracing
new technologies in the classroom has the potential to do great
things, but I can also see the dangers of this. When reading the article,
"Technology Integration: A Short History" by Suzie Boss my eyes
were opened up to some of the research that has been done, but this research
also made me reflect on my schooling as well as made more questions
arise.
I remember attending elementary school at Vista Academy and having a designated day of the week where we went to the "Computer Lab". If I remember correctly we would spend about an hour a week in there learning to type and played various 'educational games'. Now the reason I say 'educational games' is because at the time, it didn't feel like we were learning, it was just fun. This article discusses research done by a man named Seymour Papert. Boss wrote, "They not only gained deeper understanding of geometry concepts along with programming expertise but also showed an engagement in learning that's rare in more traditional, drill-and-practice classroom activities". When I consider my experience, I can see how this is true. Now, I wasn't learning how to write computer programming but I do feel like I gained a better understanding for geometry and other mathematical concepts.
One concept of this article that forced me to start questioning this trend is when Boss wrote, "Researchers have determined that, when used for more ambitious learning goals rather than basic skills, technology can help students develop higher-order thinking skills, creativity, and research abilities". For me, the key word in that sentence is creativity. I feel that there is little to no opportunity for students to express their creativity. I mean think about it aside from being able to chose a color scheme almost all programs (Power Point, Prezi, Blogger, etc.) have templates already picked out that one can choose from. Another phrase that stands out to me is research abilities. Yes, there are great resources out there, but how do we know they are credible? I remember being a student and just taking the first thing that I found because, let’s face it, it was easier and allowed me to get my work done quicker. I would like to know more about how these researchers are coming to these conclusions and what resources they are using when conducting their research.
CLICK HERE - Technology Integration - A Short History
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your response on the "Technology Integration," article. You definitely reminded me of my technology experience in Elementary school. I also remember when my class would have time on the computers. We also learned how to type, but I think that was it for us. I can't remember if we even played educational games. I would have to say that technology was rarely used in my classrooms in Elementary school. You also mentioned the lack of creativity that technology provides. I would definitely say that this is a downfall to technology because children need to be developing and expressing their creativity as much as possible in Elementary school. If teachers use technology tools and programs that allow for more creativity then I think students would benefit more. I also commented on the conclusions that the researchers are reaching. I was impressed that the article was backed up with strong research, but you made me question where they are getting their resources too. Thanks for your thought provoking and detailed response to the article. I loved getting to hear your thoughts!
-Meredith
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how to related this article to how technology played a role in your education. From what I can remember we had the same exact set up at my elementary school. We would have a set hour each week to go to the computer lab. This to me seemed more like a fun things rather than an educational things. We did play educational games and typing programs as well. I really feel something like the typing program is crucial because while I was in elementary school I never used the home computer. However, I can see your point of view on the "educational games". I just remember it being more of a fun things not necessarily an education thing. I really liked that in your response you had a lot of questions and different points as to determine the validity of this article. This is problem that we have in our world today. A lot of people just go online and read articles and believe everything that they read. I was wondering the same thing reading because I was actually really surprised how positive they spoke about technology in the classroom and how many benefits they said came along with it. This article definitely made me think a lot!
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI really do bring up some great points here. For one, the creativity aspect. I think when the researchers were discussing how technology helped creativity in the students it is because instead of having only what is available to them in the textbook or the school library students have the entire world to look at. Different beliefs and cultures, different ways of presenting materials, other projects that students have done can help them expand their own creativity. Yes, we have to stay on our students to make sure they aren't just plagiarizing someone else's work, but even if they copied the entire idea they are still doing a project that interests them and engages them. Your comment about templates on the power point is valid, but I think we have to think past the choosing of a background because the creativity comes also from the choosing of a topic and what is actually displayed on that slide. Sometimes it is hard to think of creativity anything more than the arts, but it is so much more. Creativity is asking your mind to halt what it thinks as reality and what society holds constant asd asking your mind to create something new. It was creativity, after all, that came up with these new programs and technology so it makes sense that building on the existing tech can result in further creativity.
Another topic that you brought up that was right up my alley was the credibility of the internet. It is true that there are some really opinionated people out there that have false information. There are biased reports and there is also a lot of outdated material. I am guilty of using wikipedia for a lot of things even though I know it is a terrible source. A major lesson in my classroom is going to be how to determine false or biased information. How to determine if your source is a good one. I think this will be a topic in our 422 class and I am looking forward to it. Just remember, "one bad apple doesn't mean the tree is rotten" -Rob Geen
LOL! I meant to say "you" bring up some good points..."you"!
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