Since I started kindergarten around 1995 I think I’ve
experienced a gradual, yet slightly alarming, evolution of technology inclusion
in the classroom upon completion of college.
What started as cassette tapes and big headphones for small group
activities moved onto to the use of CDs for class-wide listening activities; clunky
televisions once rolled in on carts yet morphed into individual televisions mounted
in each classroom. The evolution of
plain chalk boards made way for white boards and colored markers. The development of projectors stemmed from
overheads and transparencies. And once I
arrived at college the inclusion of i-Clickers, iPads, and other top of the
line technology used by my professors became the norm.
One of the questions we’ll be asked to think about in this Teaching with Technology class is, “What
are the possible benefits stemming from the use of technology in our
classrooms?” It’s a big question, one that
I hope to refine my answer to throughout the year at my placement. When I initially think about my future English
Language Arts classroom I have a lot of high hopes for what I’ll be able to do
with my available resources especially since I hope to work in an urban
environment. I’m a bit thrifty myself
and hope I won’t totally overlook a good activity grounded in the use of pen,
paper and imagination in favor of using a fancy piece of technology instead. I’ve been avoiding tablets for reading since
I enjoy writing in my books with pen or pencil.
I still don’t know the extent of technology I’ll use in my classrooms
but I’m definitely intrigued by the possibilities now that I’ll be on the planning
and teaching side of things.
But when we pause to think about it, maybe technology is becoming
a truly integral part of a classroom learning experience. I’m currently writing my thoughts for this
post on Microsoft Word since my Internet modem at my apartment has decided to
quit for the week. Without readily
available Internet from the comfort of my home many of my collegiate
assignments and readings are difficult to complete and submit. But what if this process of submitting homework
was entirely online for those students we’ll be teaching in middle and high
schools? I certainly think technology
will be a benefit in many ways to providing a more in-depth learning
experience. But will the Internet become
the main repository for assignments in the future? I
think (hope) this is still a few years away, since I’m still holding out for
educational traditions from the past, but I think I’m ultimately conflicted yet
still excited about the role technology should play in the classroom and hope
to explore these ideas further in class.
Thanks for reading this blog, look forward to many more
posts and thoughts from me!
Kelsey,
ReplyDeleteFirst things first: I love your title.
Your consideration of technology, such as the internet, in a classroom is an interesting one. Is it reasonable to rely so completely on a technology that can be unreliable and/or cannot be easily accessed by all of your students? I feel a bit biased in this question, since I am a proponent for real textbooks, printed articles and paper for note taking. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts and to working through some of these issues related to the role of technology in the classroom.
Laura
I also love the title. Your conflicted feelings on the role technology plays/will play in the classroom are also consistent with my own. I thought it was interesting how you pointed out the specific issue of the means by which we submit our homework. It seems to be migrating from the "hand it in at the beginning of class" to "response must be submitted online in the homework folder by midnight". As much of an exaggeration this example may be, I do have the same fear of how much technology will play into the day to day activities. Does typed homework submitted online allow the teacher the same opportunity for feedback as a handwritten sheet of standard paper? I know as a french teacher, I worry about kids using translating tools on the internet to complete their homework instead of figuring it out on their own. The quick and easy route that technology provides is indeed convenient and useful, but is that what we want to advocate to our students? Food for thought.
ReplyDeleteEvan
Kelsey! I really like your introduction with the evolution of technology. It's amazing how advanced technology has become in such a short period of time. It's still interesting to consider the advantages and disadvantages of all pieces of technology. I still have professors who hate using whiteboards because the erasers dry up and prefer using a chalkboard over anything. There are also things like the smart board and ELMO (camera projector thing) that have ups and downs to using them.
ReplyDeleteI also personally prefer reading paper books. There's something about feeling the surface of the pages that makes reading familiar to me and books easier to read. However, one thing that amazes me about reading tablets like the Kindle is that it can hold about 3,500 books. Can you imagine carrying your entire library with you while you go on a vacation? Something else to consider is that electronic versions of books usually tend to be cheaper than paper copies so purchasing tablets could save students and/or schools money in the long run.
I understand your conflict of feelings about technology. There are so many advantages and disadvantages to all different types of technology. There just doesn't seem to be a clear cut solution or a piece of technology that is only beneficial without any disadvantages. Maybe we'll find a solution in this course!
Keep up the great work!
- Jonathan