The idea of teaching with technology is so exciting! I love the idea of using technology to draw students in and get them engaging with content. I think technology is a great way to bridge the apparent gap between learning in a school environment and learning "for fun" that adolescents engage in daily. I think back to when I was in school--whenever we were given the chance to do a project involving technology, be it computers, digital cameras, or video cameras, I was always thrilled. My peers and I tried harder, and always performed better on assessments. That being said, incorporating technology into the classroom can be problematic.
The first issue I see with technology is how we use it. I think sometimes teachers are so excited about the prospect of incorporating some form of technology into their lesson that they don't think about whether or not the technology offers additional learning opportunities or if it is really applicable to their objectives. I have had classes where teachers try to use a video clip or song in class because they are excited about it, but the multimedia really has nothing to do with what we are doing in class or discussing. I don't want to be this teacher! I want to use technology, but be confident that the technology being used is adding to my students' learning experiences. It can be hard to use technology in a meaningful way though. I guess that's just something I'm waiting to learn.
Another issue that arises with the use of technology is the issue of exposure. In our class discussion someone said that they never wanted their peers to be able to read their work. Sometimes I can be like that too. Take this blog, for instance. I'm actually pretty nervous about other people reading it--Will you think what I'm saying makes sense? Am I smart enough to be blogging for other people to see? What if they don't like the way my blog looks? I'm sure I'm not the only one who is a little apprehensive about their writing being on display. I can see how for extroverts the use of blogs and wikis that classmates have access to can be a strong motivator, but I can also see how it could cause introverts to shut down. Some students who are scared of their peers seeing their work probably put a great deal of time and effort into their work, but that isn't the only possible outcome. Do other students get so consumed with discomfort that they stop trying? If they don't do the assignments or make it obvious that they didn't try, they won't ever feel like someone is judging their hard work. I suppose my point here is that we need to consider this when we are contemplating putting student work out for others to see.
Lastly, and probably most obviously, is the issue of cyber bullying. We touched on this briefly in class, but I think it is a pretty big deal. I'm sure that we will delve into this more deeply in the weeks to come. I definitely need to learn more about preventing any sort of discomfort or bullying that technology may cause for students. Honestly, I'm scared to use technology in my class because I don't want to be responsible for any cyber bullying that might go on as a result of online chats, blogs, or forums.
But life is all about accepting challenges and overcoming fears. Right?
I like your blog posting a lot. One thing I like a lot about what you are saying is your questioning to what extent exposure of work is productive vs. counterproductive. Maybe newer technology only heightens this age-old issue. At the same time, the very idea of your work getting the kind and degree of exposure the technology represents, makes everyone more attuned to the issues surrounding it: so more reluctant to share work, in the case of us introverts. Ultimately, I think the challenge of one's words and works finding such universal exposure is productive intellectually, but not necessarily positive in terms of the real exposure and the course it takes.
ReplyDeleteIn the instance of these blogs among classmates, I am thinking it is a good thing. You have the opportunity to formulate and present your thoughts perhaps more coherently than in discussion in class, and your co-students can respond thoughtfully. It is more of a dialog than a brainstorm.
I also like your thoughts about overuse of technology. I myself love imagery and plan to build an image library for my Latin classes, and I love it when history professors use a lot of slides showing visual historical evidence. But I'll have to make sure it engenders learning.
I think that it's fair to say, Alyssa, that Kristin and I would want to hold out hope that, for introverts who might be less likely to share their thoughts in class, the opportunity to develop and share their thinking might be seen as a positive thing, a chance to get their ideas out and perhaps even validated (as with Preston's response to you here, for example). We will both be very interested to hear what this experience is like for you (we appreciate your willingness to try blogging) as you engage in this process over the coming weeks, and interact with your peers as well.
ReplyDeleteI kept nodding throughout your post. I also had teachers that were overly eager to use technology for no apparent purpose and I don't want to be like that either. The idea of using technology to bridge a gap started me thinking about how it could bridge other gaps (specifically the summer losses that are talked about in the Entwisle reading for 695). Thank you for displaying your writing (which is nerve-wracking sometimes! I agree) because it jumpstarted my thinking and helped me to make some connections I wouldn't have made otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an awesome connection! I too have witnessed a teacher be so eager to use technology that it made the students loose focus on the subject matter at hand and instead concentrate only on how to use the technology. The idea that one could use summer blogs or wikis in order to help bridge the learning gap for students is a very substantial/valuable connection.
DeleteI think this also answers Alyssa's thought about how difficult it may be to use technology in a meaningful way. Honestly, I too had similar thoughts until I read this comment. I think the idea of utilizing technology as a way to remain in contact with students outside of school, and to support the idea of thinking and learning in that realm, is really key. Prior to this, I was completely stumped as to one really concrete example of how to do this.
Thank you Alyssa & Tasha!
I think there is an interesting balance with internet communication or for that matter any communication using the new technologies. I am always amazed at how my oldest child “dates”. First a little background, he is 15 and just finished his first year of high school. He had a girlfriend at the beginning of 9th grade, a girl he had known from middle school, and all they did was text each other and talk on facebook. What I found so interesting was the fact they never talked on the phone, never met up and spent time together and did not seem to care. But boy oh boy, impersonal communication, yup, right on that.
ReplyDeleteI spoke with him about this issue as it perplexed me. How can you have a girlfriend, yet not ever be with or talk with here in a more personal way. His answer, we do, we talk all the time. Now, being the “snoopy” Dad, I have access to all his form of communication, just how it is in my house…if something is wrong, I will know, that is my job as his father…am the proverbial Big Brother, you bet! But I digress…
We had a long conversation about why it is important to be careful with what you say while you are “online” and why you must temper conversation using any form of technology. Impersonal at best, comments can be misconstrued, feeling can be hurt or you can be mean without knowing it. Add to that, it is now a record of what transpired. Going back to the Big Brother comment, I have told him he should not say anything online that he does not want me to read, because if it is there, anyone can read it.
So, what am I alluding to here? Your comment about cyber bullying. You must be careful to temper comments and take into consideration what other people may think you are saying. After all words are just that, words. The interpretation of what those words mean is done by the receiver, not the sender.
While reviewing my son’s facebook page about a year and a half ago, a girl he knew indicated it was going around that he was gay. He was upset and he and I spoke about it and I told him I would answer her question/statement. I simply wrote “it is a shame that some people feel so bad about themselves that they must try to make other people feel bad.” There was never another question from her about it and it was never an issue again. Kida can be mean and using technology to express their feelings is very dangerous. It is a permanent record and not a place to be uninhibited.
By the way, love the layout of your blog, awesome!
ReplyDeleteI love your enthusiasm! While reading about your excitement, I couldn't help but think of how we have opposite stances on the idea of using technology in our classrooms yet similar concerns about using it in an effective and safe manner. I like how you are anxious to use technology as a unique means to engaging your students and encouraging them to take ownership of their work yet also cautious about not using it for the sake of merely incorporating technology into your lessons. This is a thought I am far from having yet when I do use technology, I want it to be as meaningful and purposeful as possible, too. I suppose my point is that I found it interesting that we come from such different perspectives yet our anticipations and expectations of the course are the same. I'm curious, though, to hear more about your personal experience with using technology in the classroom and what aspects you found to be most exciting or stimulating, as in, as a student, why did you enjoy it so much?
ReplyDeleteJeff: I think that in this context, which I would say is a "safe space", introverts (or people like me who are just anxious about sharing their thoughts in front of lots of people) are more comfortable. I guess I have realized that everyone is in the process of learning here, so I need to think of this as part of the learning process. However, I'm not sure that my students will feel this way. They might not think of the blogging world as a safe space in which they can continue their learning. I obviously want to do everything I can to make it safe and them comfortable, but I am apprehensive about whether or not I will be able to do so.
ReplyDeleteTasha and Chelsea: I love the idea of using blogs and wikis to combat summer learning loss! Awesome :) Do you guys think that schools will ever implement this? How would it look?
John: I think your point about monitoring what we say on the internet is very true. Cyber bullying, similarly to "traditional" bullying can be accidental (because the victim misinterprets something). My issue with using technology in the classroom, though, is how I can make sure that students understand this. As I'm sure you've experienced with your son, kids don't always listen to adults!
Carrie: One of my most memorable classes was a spanish class where our final project was to make a movie. The movie had to be an hour long (that's so long for an 8th grade spanish class, right?) and we got to rent video cameras from the school and use editing programs on the Macs at school. It was so much fun and I really did learn a LOT of spanish. The assignment forced us to review all of the things we learned throughout the year. I'm not sure if that kind of assignment will be possible in every school, but that's just one of my experiences that made me excited about the prospect of using technology in my classroom.
Thanks everyone for your comments! =]
I, too, like the idea of using blogs/wikis to keep a classroom community going over the summer. I hadn't encountered this idea before, so thanks.
DeleteFor an English classroom, the most obvious way (to me) it "might look" woud be to have something like a book club, and have students post responses (reviews, as well as answers to prompts).
I guess I'm wondering, though, how to generate student participation. It's not something that could be required. Although, I suppose one could use incentives (a pizza party in the fall for those who participate?). It occurs to me that there might be "danger" that the kids who "need" it most won't participate; rather, the kids who are already high achievers are the ones who will self-select themselves into the community. That said, I think we've heard a lot this summer on trying to cater to (or at least not leave out) the struggling learners, and there is something to be said for creating opportunities for the high achievers, too.