Drowning not surfing

This is a great article, by Dr Reville, that discusses the fear of technology and puts forward the idea that to fear technology is irrational because it is of our creation.

I have always said of computers that the problem is they do what i tell them to do not what i want them to do.I have always got incredably impatiant with technology, and that has come from my not understanding.  There is a great line in the piece “Human psychology tends to fear that which it does not control”. I get that. What Reville is saying is that like anything, a car, a TV, an Ipod, understanding of any technology can lead to embracing it. 

What people of my ilk need to come to grips with is that we are i the middle of an information revolution, led by the internet and the technological tools that have developed in its wake. We need to embrace it, understand it nd move with it or it is us who will be left behind.

Fear of technology, of computers needs to be tackled with education, much like all fears, lack of understanding is the danger.

Technology needs to inform and support students learning, using technology for it’s own sake or as a sort of ‘big brother’ approach to teaching is just as problematic as any instructionist approach.
The constructionist model of Plainview High, whilst idealistic displays a school environment that most would be aiming for. An environment where technology is used to support and further educational opportunities rather than the Highville approach of using technology as a tool of school bureaucracy.
Like any tool of learning in the classroom technology should be used to benifit the learning, to allow greater understanding and interaction of the students in the activities planned for them.
Allowing students access to technology such as the internet and digital material means that students can use the technology to expand on their understanding of texts, for example if an english class is doing a unit on adolescants, they can use the internet to research the issues and concepts raised in the novel they are studying. The students can then apply their learning in a digital project. 
Romeo’s article pushs the Constructionism Vs Instructionism concepts to extremes however i do not think he has gone byond the realm of what is possible, if technology is viewed as a kind of cure all, then it has the possibility of being mis-utalised and be as unappealing to students as any educational form. If students are able to use technology that is part of their cultural understanding to inform and propell their learning then we as educators have used it well.

The school that I attended on prac has a good availability of ICT resources for staff and students. The college has a high-speed computer network for staff and students to share. Full time staff are issued with laptop computers “to support staff in their professional role “>Staff attend ICT in-service meetings every two weeks.

Whilst the students have access to computers in several classrooms and the library offers computers, a whiteboard and an AV room where shows are taped to be shown in classes and the students have access to camcorders and digital cameras there is not much of a culture of using this equipment by the English staff as a whole.

My observation of these tutorials is that most of the staff have very limited knowledge of the programs and how to use them in the classroom, with many teachers still hesitant if not resistant to using much of the resources ICT has to offer the English classroom. In saying this staff realise that they have to become more adapt at using and utilising ICT and to whilst the fact that the staff are being given training is fantastic, students will not benefit from this training until teachers feel comfortable with the technology and the teaching opportunities available by accessing them.

katryce writes an interesting (and amusing) point about the time article i have commented on.

Using her ‘big pencil case” analogy, she makes the point that i made about how availability of the technology is a major part of the process of equipping the techno-savvy student.

Her point is that it is not possible for many students to have access to computers and to become comfortable with the technology. It is important to remember that whilst we are in a technological age, not everyone is equipped to cope.

I have been having a look at some webquests  and wanted to see what others thought of them as a teaching tool.

There is a website called webquest.org that has an abundance of quests that may be of help in teaching of english units. These include a range about our friend Shakespeare, that range from introductions to units, to thematic aproaches.

I can see the merit in this as a teaching tool, however i can also see obvious problems with it. 

First of all you need to be in a situation were each student has access to a computer, and secondly the quests are somewhat specific in nature and may not fit into everyones teaching plan.

They seem to me to be much the same as curriculum support material, a good place to find ideas that individual teachers would then mould into their own working unit. The webquests on the above site seem quite static as well with a lot of the activities being similar in nature to traditional written tasks, just transposed to an online setting.

I came across an interesting site called the Global Nomads Group (GNG)

I found this site developed the idea of Webquests in a really interesting way. 

The site states that 

the Global Nomads Group (GNG) is an international NGO that creates interactive educational programs for students about global issues. GNG’s educational programs include (1) four types of videoconferences — The PULSE, Currents, Innovations and Rapid Response — where students learn about and discuss subjects with their peers from around the world in live, facilitated sessions; and (2) videosand learning content on a variety of international issues relevant to teachers and students.

 

I see this site as really being able to utilize, the net to enhance learning in a much better way than the basic webquest idea.

 

On my prac one of the uses of ITC that i witnessed was that the school used their Computer network i ways that i had not seen before.

This ranged from how the teachers were using programs to write reports and tht students could hand in work online to using their network to access TV programs and information to use in the classroom.

It has to be mentioned that most of the teachers were not entirely comfortable in using the technology, but the good thing was they had regular ICT seminars to learn.

I think that is the real way to get teachers to use ICT is to make it as familiar and comfortable as possible, as well as accessible. This is the real trick though. Until every teacher has access to the programs it will not be something they are willing to tackle as a teaching tool.

In Oppenheimers article he discusses the merit of using computers in the classroom. I think this article is really interesting and make several fascinating points about the use of computers and how much they help in the day to day education. I believe that like any teaching tool computers need to be used with understanding, preparation and understanding of why it is being used. The teacher has to have a clear understanding of why using computers is the best possible way of achieving the outcomes being sought after. Used in conjunction with other teaching tools i think computers can help, and it is important for teachers to use everything available to connect with the students, however the teacher has to know what they are trying to achieve, in order for the computer to be used to the best effect.