My Opinion
Wow! After reading the debate on media I began to think about my way of teaching. I tried to implement technology all day every day for every subject. This was my mentality because we live in a technology driven era, but if you really think about it we can teach the same material using other visuals that will deliver the same meaning. When I first started teaching I used a lot of teacher created board games, hands on math mats, and graphic organizers. To try and save paper and have more student participation I began to incorporate technology. Then as time went on our school administrators wanted to see more technology in our class; by the time I knew it our whole day was filled with technology. Looking at both techniques and the final product of the students, they both got my students to learn, neither one was better than the other. So if you ask me media is not the message, you can send the same message using a different approach. I really like Clark’s quote “media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in our nutrition"” (Clark 83: 445). However we can’t deny that technology is crucial these days. We can come up with a happy medium in the way we present the information we want students to learn using different strategies and teaching styles.
My role as a school librarian to support student and teacher learning
As a librarian I can help supplement and extend what teachers are teaching in their class to help support student learning. I will ask teachers what they are covering in class and then enrich their lessons with hands on activities and up to date digital resources. I will provide access to technology that will assist them achieve their learning goals. I can aid both students and teachers with using and locating information online, showing them how to find trustworthy sites. Working together with teachers and supporting their lessons will ultimately enhance student learning.
How technology is being used to teach and learn
I think technology should be used to enhance the material being taught and learned. It should not be the focus of the lesson. Technology should be used as an extension to the lesson. You can’t put a label on teaching that is made up of research, contains different learning styles, and the delivery of the material itself by the teacher who can connect on a one to one basis as opposed to whole group. Technology can also be used to allow students to research and present their work. Once the information being taught has been delivered the students get to evaluate and analyze their own thinking and come up with a final product using technology resources.
Where we need to go in order to support this vision
In order for this to work smoothly we must all be on the same page. Working cooperatively is the way to go. If we work in partnership with each other we can support and enrich the student and teacher learning. We will all climb the ladder of success if we help one another. Having professional developments that will not only show teachers but allow them to practice using technology would be great help. Also we must provide teachers with the resources needed to accomplish these goals, what good is driving if you don’t have a vehicle.
Blocks that will hinder the adoption of technology in education
A road block I see is giving teachers the knowledge but not the resources. We can give teachers all the professional development possible if we don’t furnish the tools and resources needed then it was all a waste of time. This brings us to funds, the schools are limited to funds for technology, but they need to find a way to give students access to the technology needed to enrich their learning. Teachers need to have hardware and software readily available to use as an extension to their lessons. So if the districts could set aside money for technology that would be wonderful. If not teachers have to use their own money to purchase these amazing resources.
Sources
Dash, A. (2017). Tech's moral reckoning. Retrieved from http://anildash.com/2017/01/on-being-and-techs-moral-reckoning.html
Because students learn in different ways (tactile, auditory, and visual) I think that technology can be used to entice students to learn. I agree with you that districts must provide technology, but I also think they must provide the training to use technology.
ReplyDeleteEsmelda,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your example of using technology with your students vs. using teacher-created materials. This was a good way to show how the media is not the message. I agree with you that funding is a major hurdle in acquiring technology for our schools. Technology is something that seems to become outdated quickly and sometimes it is hard to keep our equipment current.
Becky Sandner
I completely agree! Some educators get a little crazy when it comes to technology that they completely forget to think about what purpose it's going to serve in the lesson. A concern that I have is what's going to happen to these students who are so used to using technology on a daily basis - what happens when they become too reliant on technology to learn?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that we are all "pressured" into having technology in the classroom and that most of us are using it the wrong way. Technology should be an extension of what we are already teaching. I also agree that even though we are learning about technology tools, it doesn't help if we are unable to implement it.
ReplyDeleteAs with everything in life, I think there is a time and a place for everything. As you pointed out, some of the lessons were just as powerful, if not more so, without the use of technology. As a colleague of mine once said, if you put lipstick on a pig, all you get is a pretty pig. The material learned is the same. The point is that technology can help different learners in different ways. A good lesson is a good lesson. However, we must not be afraid to use technology as that would be a disservice to our kiddos. Just teach. In the case studies articles, the most successful districts were the ones that let teachers incorporate technology when and where the teachers felt it fit. The teachers were allowed to be the teaching experts. :)
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