I have an odd relationship with technology. I love wikipedia with the burning passion of a thousand suns, I read newspapers solely online and am attached at the hip to my computer. On the other hand, I cringe at the idea of a smartboard in the classroom and gag when I hear the word “powerpoint.” So while I have had generally positive experiences with technology in my personal life, these feelings have rarely transferred over into the classroom.
I see a world of potential with technology and excitedly follow google and other tech firms in the news. I am just highly skeptical of how this energy could be harnessed to improve learning. Today in class we discussed an article about a teacher and how his introduction of digital photos to his classroom motivated his students to work harder and to critique other students’ work in a positive and productive way. Although I do not argue with the author’s conclusion, I feel as though he could have achieved the same results with a much more analog approach.
In a 1996 article for Wired magazine, Steve Jobs discussed his views of technology in schools.
I used to think that technology could help education. I’ve probably spearheaded giving away more computer equipment to schools than anybody else on the planet. But I’ve had to come to the inevitable conclusion that the problem is not one that technology can hope to solve. What’s wrong with education cannot be fixed with technology. No amount of technology will make a dent.1
Technology so often becomes a money pit for schools. The logic essentially goes, put a computer in the classroom and they will learn. In actuality the equation is far more complex and in the void of proper instruction computers are primarily hijacked by students as toys.
Despite my fairly negative attitude towards technology in schools, I have to admit that technology in the MAC program is quite exciting. I love the use of ctools and pulling up my schedule on my phone on the way to class. I like the idea of shared google documents and even the idea of blogging is growing on me. For instance, I have read several other blogs and found myself wanting to engage the authors in discussion, which would be amazing to facilitate in my own classroom. Therefore I am excited about this class because I see the huge potential, I am just uncertain and skeptical about how it can be achieved.
Hold on to that skepticism, Jack...it will serve you well. When I used to teach a History of Education class we read an aptly-titled book about American schools called "The Imperfect Panacea." Henry Perkinson wrote about any number of ideas (school as the setting for the explicit training of workers) technologies (everything from radio, to TV to chalkboards) and orientations (if only educators would follow, say, the business model in organizing schools) that were imbued with the air of panacea, only to fall short of the mark. This isn't to say that there weren't valuable things to be drawn from these ideas and technologies, but it reminds me that teaching (and even the larger enterprise of mass education) is a complex and challenging enterprise. Jobs may be 100% correct in his assessment, though from a safe perspective of 15+ years later I don't agree with him. Having said that, however, he's absolutely right that a lot of money has been spent on computers, which have also had the aura of panacea attached to them. They aren't a panacea but they (and newer mobile technologies like cell phones) may be useful tools in reaching students. At a minimum, having made these investments, schools may be ripe grounds for a little experimentation, and this is the 'opportunity space' that Kristin and I want you to consider and explore...keeping that healthy skepticism close at hand. ;-)
ReplyDelete: I love your analogy of your love for Wikipedia. . . with a burning passion of a thousand suns. You really LOVE IT! LOL! Are you going to let your students use it/site it for work they turn in to you ☺. I have to admit that I definitely refer to it quite often my self. I have never utilized a smart board for instruction. But I have seen it in use. Do you have an iPad? Think of it as a giant sized iPad if you do. Does that help make you feel more comfortable possibly using one? And PowerPoint is not so bad. If you are familiar with MS Word, I think your knowledge of it can transfer to PowerPoint. If you just take some time to play around with it you will see it is not too bad at all. It does a LOT for you. I look forward to hearing about how you have learned to utilize technology as a tool in your classroom!
ReplyDeleteYou love Wikipedia that much really, passion of a thousand suns? Impressive. BUT, do you think it's useful in a class? Would you let your students use it? Also, has you attitude on technology changed now that we are at the end of the summer, if so how?
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