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
“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
I think another reason we should use technology is because it is part of our world now. If we aren't using it, school becomes separated from the lives of students and they are less motivated to learn. We need to utilize the ways they are learning already in our classrooms.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't easy to let your guard down in regard to using technology in the classroom. Intellectually, we know we must use technology if we are to stay current and provide students with a connected learning environment, but in practical terms it can be confusing to know exactly how and what to use in the classroom. It seems that you have accepted the fact that technology is a benefit to students, so I'm confident you will learn how best to use it.
ReplyDeleteThe tools that Alec showed us were very interesting, especially the couchsurfing site. It is incredible to think about what all we can accomplish using technology. I also agree that keeping up to date with all of these new tools can be very time consuming. The only way I could see myself keeping up is if I specifically set aside time each day to work and explore the world of technology. It is an interesting debate about if we NEED technology to teach or not. I agree with you that teachers have taught for years without but it opens up so many more resources for us to teach better.
ReplyDeleteI have asked myself those questions, too. I think the shift in communication and information accessibility means that we DO need to incorporate ICT to be current and ready for the ever-more connected world of the future. I also think that a good, human teacher will always be essential to the education process, to guide, model and inspire!
ReplyDelete