While
conducting my student teaching this semester, it’s hard not to notice the
complete disconnect between the technologies thrust upon teachers within the
school from top down, and their implementations. For example, since the
beginning of the year I have heard endless qualms from all the teachers I have
encountered about the difficulty and utter uselessness of the ten separate accounts teachers are
required to utilize- one for their grade book, one parent portal, one
curriculum changes, one for attendance, one for progress reports, ect. The
problem is not that these technologies are ineffective, but in practice it would
be sensible to have software in which all of these utilities could coincide in
conjunction with one another. Many teachers within the district have made it
their mission to supply the schools with Google tablets, while all students and
teachers are required to have a Google account which is frequently utilized for
a multitude of purposes. In fact, Google had a promotion which would sell their
tablets at one third of the cost to schools, a proposition which was brought to
the school board, but was turned down.
While technology, if used
efficiently, could be a liberating tool from the antiquated “lecture style”
classroom structure, giving autonomy to students to learn in non-linear ways.
Instead, because of the political and economic structures which keep the
business-like model of schools intact, students must continue to succumb to the
socialization and ideological agenda inherent within our educational system. We
have not traveled far from Common School-like doctrine, using schooling as a vehicle
to instill ideologies which benefit the economic and political need of the
times. While I do believe that technology such as computers could be highly
beneficial within the English classroom, I find it imperative that students as
well as teachers receive the proper education in how these technologies work, in
order to use them efficiently and creatively. Web 2.0 can be a fantastic way to
implement non-linear content within the classroom. Using Google Drive to
collaborate and share essays, blogs, podcasts, and even lessons can be a highly
effective tool for student-centered learning. By empowering students to be the
agents of their own education, as well as supplying both students and teachers
with the proper background and skills to utilize these technologies, the linear
dynamic of the classroom could have the potential to be a catalyst for
divergent and critical thinking.
A lot of schools today are not utilizing the technology they have right in their classrooms. Most teachers are still using basic technology or none at all. They may use the smart board once a week, just so they can say that they use technology in their class. However, what they are not understanding is that most students enjoy learning differently and using technology within their lessons. If you ask a class of 6th graders whether they like taking notes all class period or interacting with the smart board they would most likely say the smart board. This is because students will engage more in a lesson if they are utilizing all of their resources that they have. In the end, however, teachers need to be educated on the technologies they will be using in their classroom so as to not waste time in their lessons figuring out how to turn the smart board on.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your feedback on my previous post! I do agree that if we can use technology in moderation, then it can be a highly beneficial tool for all of us. Technology already is important, but as I reiterated, it can be quite distracting when getting assignments and other tasks done.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that now that it is evident the world is rapidly converting to a solid ground of technology, schools should follow that same pattern of convenience. It is very frivolous to have a number of programs to do tasks when technology is advanced enough to the point where it very well could be done in one program. Google Drive is a great start to what I feel could be standard to help boost the curriculum. It was introduced to me in a high school level stock market class as a way to communicate with group members about a stock market simulation we were involved in, and I have used it ever since to complete my tasks.