Last
class, we had the privilege of talking with Alec Couros and it was such an eye opening
discussion! He showed us so many tools that are at our disposal, half of them I
didn’t even know existed! Alec introduced me to about.me pages, MOOC, network
literacies, trip advisor, couch surfing… in other words… an overwhelming amount
of potential tools I can use. However, this also made me question how could I
ever successfully learn and keep up with all of this new technology AND learn
to use them in the classroom?! It looks like it can be time consuming just
knowing and keeping up with what is out there, but to actually take the time to
familiarize and use the new technology, for me, is way out of my comfort zone
and seems like an impossible task.
“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he
was born in another time”
-Rabindranath Tagore
Alec
spoke with us about the different opportunities the internet provides. He also emphasized
how we (teachers) need to embrace new technology, experiment with new forms of
expression, teach digital citizenship/identity, connect with others and make learning
visible. Easier said than done… in my opinion. However, I know that keeping up
with technology and using it in the classroom is necessary in order for me to
be an effective teacher today. I don’t mean this in the sense that I 100% need
technology to be a ‘good’ teacher, but I mean it in the way that students are
interested in technology and it engages them and enriches their learning when
used appropriately. In our discussion Alec quoted that education is “no longer
about teachers being in front of a classroom,” which is absolutely true. It is
not only about using technology and the web, but education today means allowing
students more independence in their own learning. Technology makes this easier.
“Wherever one is, someone is watching and recording”
-Zack
Whitaker
In
Alec’s discussion, for some reason the quote above stuck out the most for me. It
seems like a simple enough statement (and a little creepy), but it was also
really thought provoking. First thought that crossed my mind was that seeing
teachers outside of school no longer means turning to your mom and saying “look
there’s my teacher… weird.” Now it means taking a picture with your smart phone
and posting it on facebook or twitter for all to see. My second thought was how
the web allows for new possibilities, how new ideas can spread like a virus and
take little to no time to spread and share this new information. Alec
talked about how technology is not only used to ‘use and consume’, but to share
knowledge as well. It is a two way street.
I’m left with two conflicting questions. 1.
Do I NEED technology to teach? and 2. SHOULD I use technology to teach? To
answer my first question, obviously I don’t NEED technology in order to teach
as teachers have done without it for years. However, to answer my second
question I say, Yes. This is me giving in and admitting that technology can be
used to make my job easier. I know it is
not going to be an easy task, but I know using technology will benefit my
students more than having them use textbooks, worksheets and copying notes on
the chalkboard.
Until
my next post… JD
