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| Exhibit A |
My mentor teacher is in possession of an original record recording of the 1938 radio broadcast that terrified many along the Eastern seaboard of the United States that night before was under attack. This showcases the power of description and human reenactment of written scenes. We ended each class period by taking a listen to the original broadcast of War of the Worlds and quite frankly I think I would have been convinced aliens were here if I had originally only heard this on the radio. It retained that old record sound that's kinda scratchy and with voices that are occasionally muffled by old microphones. It just seems more academically and culturally authentic coming from an old-fashioned record player than playing an up-to-date Youtube video. You can hear the same recording online here.
What was really fascinating to watch was how intrigued the students were by this seemingly archaic piece of technology. There were a few kids who had no idea what the thing was! The majority of my students were born in either 2000 or 2001 and to many of them a record player is something a really old relative might still have at their house or something they would see in an antique store. They all wanted to take turns putting the needle on the record and asked my mentor teacher numerous questions about it throughout the day.
While we may talk about the newest types of technology we want in our classrooms I was really impressed with my mentor teacher and his inclusion of the record player in our class yesterday. I think that some "older" forms of technology really offer a new learning experience for our students. The Larry Cuban reading from this summer states that useful instructional technology is anything that instructs students "in a more efficient and stimulating manner than sole use of the teacher's voice" (p. 4). This particular example allowed them to imagine some aspects of life when radios were the most prevalent form of technology available to the average American and they could really only achieve this envisionment by listening to an old-fashioned record player.
Kelsey,
ReplyDeleteI greatly enjoyed reading your post because it highlights the importance of using technology that works irrespective of it being "new" or "old". I find it intriguing to know that a record player could be of such great interest to kids. I think it is important that teachers introduce students to a wide variety of technology sources. Broadening students' understanding of older forms of technology and communication is important. I wouldn't of thought that your students would of reacted with such great interest. I'm glad they did though.
I think the Larry Cuban quote you included is very timeless and touches on the quintessential purposes in utilizing technology for instructional purposes. One purpose of education is to engage our audience in the process of learning. In this sense, technology should be included to achieve this end. I thought it was awesome that your mentor teacher has an original broadcast of War of the Worlds and was able give students an experience hearing the sound. The experience, as you mention in your reference to its "authenticity" provides students an electrical experiences that I believe helps them better understand historical change over time through comparing different forms of communication.
Kelsey,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post! First of all, how cool that your mentor teacher used this piece of technology to add to his teaching and teach the students about its significance. In world language classes we often talk about connecting our students to the language through real world contexts. I think there is something to be said about experiencing something personally (such as seeing how the record player works and hearing it when it is sitting right next to you) versus accessing it via the internet. This is kind of like language learning as well, you learn far more when your immersed in the language and culture, than studying it separately. I think that by your mentor teacher bringing in something with this sort of authenticity to his class, he did just that. I love that he was able to bring the context of the world in the time of what you were studying at that moment into the classroom, instead of having to view them as separate things. Thanks for sharing!
Kelsey, thanks for bringing up the idea of old technology. Perhaps I should try bringing a record player into class. My two experiences with the old tech thus far have not been positive. I used several clips from the black-and-white 2005 film "Good Night, and Good Luck," to talk about MCarthyism; the universal reaction from the class, despite the fact that I included an MLA citation of the film for them at the top of the guided notes I provided, was that the film was "old," or "outdated." For the most part, they tuned out. This had something to do with a scaffolding problem that I had not considered: none of them knew what the Cold War was, and therefore they were missing the relevant background information they needed. However, the medium itself was a problem. When I asked a couple of students about it, they stated (in paraphrase) that old films were necessarily irrelevant and had nothing to offer them.
ReplyDeleteThe second experience involved the Beatles. Again, there was a scaffolding problem I had not considered, which is that many of the students had no idea who the Beatles were. And although I brought in a CD containing a medley of songs taken from the new digital remastering of the original recordings, the students generally pegged the music as "old," "out-of-date," and unable to communicate anything to their generation.
There probably isn't any grand point here. Perhaps if I brought in a record player and played some Beatles LPs for them, they'd hear it differently. Perhaps the obvious use of older technology would help them connect with the music, although I worry that they'd still see the music and the medium as little more than museum pieces, waiting to be curated into significance. And now that I've said that, maybe that's my point. Maybe the only way to bring older technology or even older literature or art into class is to think of curation? And yet, curating the literature seems like admitting that it might not have any living connection to the present.
Kelsey this is a great idea! I have never thought of bringing back or using old technology in the classroom, but I feel that you bring up some great points. I think I could really utilize this idea in my future history classes. The idea of using a record player when talking about music of the 20th century is a great idea. It allows students to not only see the technology of the time but it will also allow me to play the music that was influential at the time...music is a great window into the values and ideas of a particular time. I would love to blast some Jimmie Hendrix and Led Zeppelin when talking about the 1960's and the counterculture. It doesn't matter if technology is "old" or "new" as long as it engages students in the process of learning.
ReplyDeleteKelsey,
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful! I totally agree with what everyone else has said thus far. Technology in the classroom is basically any tool (chalkboard, smartboard, projector) that helps us to teach and further student learning. Using a record player is a great way to expose students to something new (to them) and help them better understand that material you're presenting. I recall at the beginning of the program a french teacher mentioning that they want to have typewriters in their classrooms so that students take their time learning grammar and spelling in the target language. Bottom line, as long as you're using technology in a way that best promotes student learning it's a great thing. I say bring in the record players!