Take a moment to look at this website showing some the statistics for students we are currently teaching. Also take a moment to look at this chart about adult media use.
No matter if we are teaching children or training adults, if we are not using some form or technology or media, we are missing the boat. So we must ask what is the correct way to use this media?
As a school administrator I observed many types of instruction. I have seen the traditional teacher-led lecture style classes as well as student centered learning environments. I have seen teachers who didn't even like using a computer for entering attendance and grades and would never consider adding it to their curriculum. I have also witnessed classes where technology was the main focus. Everything they did in the class revolved around using an internet connected device.
During my 14-year educational career I have also participated in numerous training and professional development meetings. Many of these were face to face and many were virtual online courses. Just in the past year I have been part of a wide array of meetings. I was forced to sit through a 45-minute speaker who used a sharpie and a flip chart. I attended an interactive virtual training in which we had a sandbox version of the software on half of the screen to use as we followed along with the speaker demonstrating on the other half. I also almost fell asleep as a speaker flipped through a 2-hour Power-Point as he read it word for word with little added.
The question becomes "What is the perfect balance and best approach for using technology for instruction?" Many times we find that people take the technology "and design instruction to accommodate these capabilities," (Dempsey & Reiser, 2017, p. 259). Other people choose to avoid the technology completely. Dempsey and Reiser tell us that we should be asking "How can we adapt rich media to aid human learning," (2017, p. 260).
There are ways to enhance your instruction with technology properly without going overboard or underutilizing it. It can be used to support project or problem based learning, aid in individualized learning, flipped classrooms, online or blended learning, and game based learning. See the video below about the benefits of game based learning.
There is no way to avoid the impact of technology on education. We as technology leaders must be able to train our teachers on the best practices of using it in the classroom. We must model this use in our professional developments and within our own classrooms.
References
Dempsey, J. and Reiser, R. (2017) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Pearson, New
York, NY.
Industry American. (2017, July 2). Video Games the Future of
Education? [YouTube Video] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6ISSllvHY8
I too have experienced some of the same professional development sessions as you. I would rather not be put through that type of experience again. I am sure some of my students feel the same way. Gamification is a great way to provide reinforcement of content but in a fun way. I have recently been exposed to Breakout EDU. I plan to incorporate these lessons in my library this school year. "Teachers often define digital games as both drill-and-practice activities with rewards and more sophisticated educational games that have rules and mimic mainstream games" (Dempsey and Reiser p. 178). Why not make education more fun?
ReplyDeleteReference:
Dempsey, J. and Reiser, R. (2018). Trends and Issues in Instructional
Design and Technology. Pearson, New York, NY.
One of the barriers to the integration of technology in the school setting as discussed by Reiser and Dempsey (2018) is "teachers attitudes and beliefs towards technology." (p. 181). So many times we hear, "Well that is not how I learned and I turned out okay." These teachers are those barriers that Reiser and Dempsey are talking about. Whether teachers like it or not, students learn differently these days due to immersion of technology, as you proved here. Why not take what students love, technology, and enhance learning through it? Learning will become more meaningful for students if purposeful technology is integrated into the learning process!
ReplyDeleteReiser, R.A. & Dempsey, J.V. (2018). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology. New York: Pearson.
DeleteWhen you said "I also almost fell asleep as a speaker flipped through a 2-hour Power-Point as he read it word for word with little added," this made me laugh. I do not understand why someone will give a presentation on written material that we can just read ourselves when we get home if they aren't going to do much more with it. Reiser and Dempsey (2018) they mention that “perhaps the most important consideration when deciding whether and how a particular technology might be employed in a particular classroom situation is to first think about whether the use of that technology will enhance teaching and learning” (p. 182). Just because you are using the technology doesn't mean that is beneficial. Learning how to make the most of it or use it creatively is an art in itself, and an important area that may need more training in.
ReplyDeleteReiser, R.A. & Dempsey, J.V. (2018). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology. New York: Pearson.