This will be a great opportunity to collect my thoughts on what we have covered this semester. I am amazed when I think of how my students interact with technology compared with my experiences as a teenager 30 years ago(that is hard to admit), or to the technology we use in school now compared to when I started working here 7 years ago. My computer lab was the exclusive exposure to technology for elementary students. Now with every teacher having a SmartBoard, I have had some of my lessons "stolen" and have had to look for new things. This is not a bad problem of course.
I think the greatest impact of technology will require us to evolve the way we process information. How much time should we spend teaching cursive handwriting instead of keyboarding? How much time should we spend requiring the memorization of states and capitals instead of using accurate data bases to look things up?
The second worry I have is for people to want technology in the classroom without providing the training to use it to it's full potential. I also see little benefit in forcing technology on teachers who are not comfortable with it. Expensive gadgets are not worth it if they are only going to be used for simple word processing, or games.
Those are great questions as time for learning in school is always in short supply. It does come down to priorities; it is my hope that discussion which includes realizing the potential negative effects and unintended consequences of technology will be a part of the decision.
ReplyDeleteYou also have a wonderful point about how technology should not just be reduced to being cool and entertaining when it can be a very powerful way of teaching students if teachers receive proper training and support.