Each time I go into a blog assignment I see where technology is going and understand a bit more as to why we have to go in that direction. While watching and listening to The Networked Student, I was thinking just more confusing places to go and try to manage. For me personally, I can't seem to get organized and know where I have been on the web and where else I can go. I don't know what to ask about because I don't know what all is available. I don't know who to talk to outside of classmates and teachers, actually I do know that one a bit more. And I don't know how to distinguish between good and bogus information I find. But that is changing weekly if not daily.
When asked the question, "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?" , it is answered with the following: for guidance, for organization, for lessons on how to communicate in a complete and proper way, and how to distinguish between good and not so good information. As you can see that covers all of my personal problems with technology and overall usage of the web. I felt better after getting to that part and understanding a bit more that people don't want teachers replaced, just teaching a different way. When I watched the iSchool video, I felt that one of its' goals was to get rid of teachers and just have technology take over, almost on its own. Now I see it a bit differently.
The question is asked, "Am I ready?". Well, not yet. Are my students ready? Not yet. But with more learning on my part and passing it on to them through multi medias, I can see where we all will be changing. This video was great and I am glad to have seen it.
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You have some good points, I was also concerned about the changes that I perceived in education concerning technology taking over. I would still argue that a teacher has more responsibility in the classroom other than the answers provided in the video. For example, I think that as a history teacher, which is where I'm headed, I will have to lecture my students and discuss the information with them. They should be allowed to think freely but I could never in good conscience leave all the research up to my students. I never want to be like the teacher I had in middle school who sat at her computer and played solitaire all day.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you have to lecture them? Why not pose a series of questions and have debates, or discussions, or seminars? Why not devise activities or projects that would let students demonstrate how well they have considered all sides of an issue? Why not engage them in writing with multimedia? Why not videotape your lectures, have students watch them, and use the entire class time to debate the position of all participants? And then have people take other positions and see how well they can make arguments from a different perspective?
ReplyDeleteMy son went to Carnegie Mellon. He was a drama student, but took several courses in the College of Arts and Sciences. In one freshman history class, the teacher was lecturing on the opening of the west in the United Sates and was explaining it with a popular theory of the late 70s. Charlie, an avid reader, great debater, and extremely confident young man, challenged the teacher and the theory and proposed an alternative. The response he got: "We're not ready to discuss that yet." They never did.
Far too much of our educational system uses lectures to tell others how and what to think. You say: "I will have to lecture my students and discuss the information with them. They should be allowed to think freely but I could never in good conscience leave all the research up to my students." I would add nor should they allow all of the "research" to be done by the teacher. But that is what happens in most classrooms!
So it is not technology vs. some other way of teaching. It's how can technology be used to enhance learning, and how, then does its use change the role of the teacher, or moderator, or learning planner. I don't think teacher really works anymore. I don't teach. I try to establish an environment in which I can learn with "students". I would rather call them fellow learners.
I think you are on the right track, but it is easy to fall into the trap of "I'll preach. You listen and burp back."