EEND Blogging in the Classroom
Hello Class,
As a life science teacher that still believes getting your hands dirty with the material is the best way to learn biology or anatomy, I often times ask myself if we sometimes include technology in the classroom just to say we included technology in the classroom. Don't get me wrong, I think technology can be a great way to enhance the curriculum, but many times this year I did think, "Did I just change this activity to a tech centered activity to increase engagement, or did I change it cause it is the "IT" thing to do now?"
My question to my group is:
Do you feel that the content or the experience in the classroom is ever negatively impacted by the drive to make everything technologically driven in the classroom?
I look forward to your replies!
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
As a life science teacher that still believes getting your hands dirty with the material is the best way to learn biology or anatomy, I often times ask myself if we sometimes include technology in the classroom just to say we included technology in the classroom. Don't get me wrong, I think technology can be a great way to enhance the curriculum, but many times this year I did think, "Did I just change this activity to a tech centered activity to increase engagement, or did I change it cause it is the "IT" thing to do now?"
My question to my group is:
Do you feel that the content or the experience in the classroom is ever negatively impacted by the drive to make everything technologically driven in the classroom?
I look forward to your replies!
Thank you,
Jim Nielsen
Jim,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that we have pressure to integrate technology into the classroom with no positive impact on pedagogy or student engagement. I truly believe kids get "teched" out from a digital perspective. Technology takes unlimited forms and we often lose sight that drawing with a pencil, pounding a nail in with a hammer, or testing the pH of soil are fundamental applications of technology that really impact are ability to complete work and understand how and why we use technology as human beings. I remember a PD session last year where we were introduced to HyperDocs and within two weeks of that I heard several kids comment that if they see another HyperDoc in class they were going to go out of their mind. When I studied Biology 30 years ago in HS, my class was basically a vocabulary class with a few opportunities to look through a microscope at basic cell structure. It was boring actually. I have a total different perspective on biology now as an adult and would think kids would love the opportunity to "get dirty" and actually study biology as it relates to so many different elements in our natural world if they were empowered with applying the skills of a working biologist. In that case, the technology would be pragmatic and interesting and make the the students crave the knowledge they seek.
I feel the same way about hyper docs... yuck. I actually never got into them but do like a more tricked out version called TESTEACH.com
DeleteIt is awesome and really allows you to set up actual images videos and articles all on one webpage. Like hyperdocs but more interactive and fun/more visually appealing.
For me it has been a goal to make sure to have a nice even mix, still getting the kids hands dirty, yet also using tech as a teaching tool .
Thanks
Jim,
DeleteThanks for the question. My answer is "Yes, but I hope. . . "
At my school we have gone through several tools that are now gone. Things like grade cam and teacher websites were tried and failed. I know the district did research, spent money, and mandated usage. These tools had good intention but were either, too limited, not user friendly enough, or both. It's my hope that all these experiences are growing pains on the road to what will be a unified "best practices of tech" in the educational field. As for now, the attitude of "I'll not learn this tool, because I know it's going away" persists among lots of teachers. These people are sometimes wonderful teachers that are just fed up wasting time. With the popularity of Canvas and the ubiquitousness (this is not a word, but it's a blog right ;) of Google docs, we seem to be headed in the right direction. I hope we will find ourselves only talking about wonderful new ways to use the tech we and are students are already fluent with in the near future.
Most recent post by John Musick
DeleteMy biggest concern about using technology in the classroom is my ability to keep up with it all. I have a huge learning curve when it comes to technology. I am easily frustrated and tend to give up quickly. Most of my learning needs to be on my own time, which is the reason I am taking some of these courses; they help guide me in finding out what I need to learn. But how quickly will all of this be outdated?
ReplyDeleteGreat Question, Jim.
ReplyDeleteIf administration is pushing to just use technology without providing pd on it, that's a huge disservice to everyone involved. Technology should be used to enhance a lesson NOT to be the lesson. If you are doing a Google Worksheet that looks exactly like a worksheet you could have printed for students; you are totally missing the point about incorporating technology.
But, if you are using technology to enhance the lesson like creating a 3D model of a house in a Drafting class or creating videos to showcase your knowledge of a unit that engages others in the lesson, then you are utilizing technology to move the lesson to a higher level. Technology should be tried; yet, it shouldn't be forced. People need to feel comfort and need to feel the worth.