Janelle’s Blog

video games

Gee, P. (2005). Learning by design: Good video games as learning machines. E-Learning, 2(1), 5-16.

Is it ok for a person to teach if they can not read or write?

Is it ok for a person to teach if they can not blog or podcast?

Karl posted a blog (which won the ‘most influential post of 2007’) about technological illiterate teachers. Karl commented that parents (and teachers and students) seem to be happy to announce that they were “never any good at math”, yet he never hears pride when people admit they “never learn’t how to read”. The question I ask is why? I notice that here at UTS I am hearing the same thing among my peers. Why are teachers proud to admit they “sucked at math”. In regards to technology why are my peers unashamed to admit “I don’t get computers”?

When experts are predicting that the most important skills for our children to be successful in the future is creativity. How can teachers prevent their students from learning through creativity because they fear technology. I believe that technology is the modern form of communication. If you dont ‘get’ computers, then Karl likens you to a teacher 30 years ago who didn’t know how to read and write.

Its your choice. Are you going to give your future students the disadvantage of being taught by an illiterate teacher, or are you going to learn how to ‘get’ computers?

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Eliza read an article in which Papert discusses the way technology can aid collaborative learning and help create a student centred environment where children learn in meaningful and relevant ways. Eliza argues in her blog that much of our current curriculum is irrelevant and as teachers we need to find ways to learn with the learners in a nurturing and stimulating environment.

I disagree with Eliza that most of the current curriculum is irrelevant. I believe that the curriculum allows for so much variety in teaching and that what is irrelevant (or perhaps outdated) is the way in which we teach the curriculum.

I agree that teachers need to find ways to learn alongside learners in a stimulating environment.

I believe that if teachers actively sought to increase their technological skills and worked hard to incorporate them creatively into their teaching methods, then both the winners will be the students. And I believe as teachers our priority be focusing on the needs of our students.

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Teachers on learning curve states that technology is changing the way we learn. Spaces in schools that are making good use of technology look more like offices than traditional classrooms: there are workstations, group work, children wandering around asking questions, working things out. Projects are less content prescribed and more outcome oriented. With new media comes more variety, colour and movement when presenting material to a class.

What I find very interesting is the statement that “the role of educators will not change with these changes in technology”. How? Teaching is said to be an intellectual skill…the art of getting people to expand their minds, have insights, develop values and to grow emotionally. I agree: this will not change. We are simply giving these teachers more tools to do this job… teachers may just need to read the instructions to discover how these tools work.

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An article written 11 years ago has challenged the way I think about schools approaches to technology. The author uses a metaphor to describe his opinion: “Theatre + Camera, illustrates a natural use of a new technology:Keep on doing what you did before with minimal change to make use of the new tool. The analogy with School + Computer is quite close. The first uses of computers in schools simply added a new tool to old practices.”

This article was written in 1997 but has anything changed? Is this still where most schools are today? When are we as teachers going to unite as a body and conclude that technology has changed education? We can not expect to teach our future classes using the same methods in which we were taught. Why? Because as Papert argues, rather than seeing these evolutions as changes in technology, we should be viewing them as changes in culture.

This may be a controversial statement but if we do not see technology as a culture and therefore adapt our curriculum’s adequately then we are no better than the people who first had access to cameras who simply filmed live performances – affecting the audience in no significant way. We do not have to be technological experts, we just need to ‘think outside the curriculum’ in the way we approach the use of computers in schools.

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Resnick writes an article (see below for reference) pointing out that many computers today are stifling childrens learning and creativity because children are simply passively consuming them. (Resnick is also interviewed on the same topic – in my opinion an audio summary of his article). He argues that computers could be used more like paintbrushes if children were given opportunities to use them to playfully explore, experiment, design and invent.

Since childhood is considered to be the most creative time of ones life, as future teachers we need to be looking for ways to exercise, nurture, refine and extend their creative abilities by taking a new approach to education and the new types of technologies which promise to support learning. Rather than have your children use the ‘limited’ (or ‘mandatory’, depending on your attitude towards technology) “computer time” playing games or programs that seek to ‘jazz up’ learning with cartoons, colours and sound effects, consider giving your children the opportunity to creatively explore through programs such as garageband.

Also reconsider the way you currently think about which KLAs technologies are appropriate for use in the classroom. Broaden your thinking, be creative yourself. When choosing what technologies to use in your classroom, appraise your options by focusing on the difference between technologies that foster creative thinking and expression, and those that don’t.

Resnick, M. (2006). Computer as paintbrush: Technology, play, and the creative society. In Singer, D., Golikoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (eds.). Play = Learning: How play motivates and enhances children’s cognitive and socio-emotional growth. Oxford UniversityPress.

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This Modern Fairytale story (see below for reference) about the way in which schools responded to the introduction of “pencils” is making a serious statement about the way in which schools today are responding to new computer technologies. This fairytale reminds me of the story of the saber-tooth curriculum which is really addressing the way our curriculum needs to change with changing times. This link is actually appropriate as I believe that the school curriculum does need to recognise that computer technologies are the future for today’s children, and learning to be creative people is the ‘new basic skill’ which schools should be focusing on.

If we lock all computers in a ’special’ room and have ’special’ computer teachers, then we have lost sight of the big picture. What is the big picture, well, I believe that these new technologies are a tool that children should be using to create, share and communicate, rather than something they ‘learn about’ or use passively. Another point brought forward in this fairytale is how children should be given plenty of opportunity to use these technologies, in all KLA’s, sadly however in most schools they are a limited resource which children rarely get the opportunity to use (let alone use creatively).

This ‘Modern Fairytale’ is a Word document and can be accessed on UTS Online via Literature: ICT in K-6 Education A General Introduction: Modern Fairytale.

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I just read an article about how Warren Central is introducing the use of podcasts into their classrooms. Mr White, the principal at Warren Central has realised the value of technology in engaging students, complementing existing teaching methods, and enriching the quality of student learning. The difference between this principle and many others who share the same belief is that he is doing something about it. His school has won a bid for Federal funding to support new programs at the school involving computers, and has presented a paper on the benefits of podcasting as a way of connecting students to literacy. Although I have not yet read this article I personally believe that podcasts will not only enhance student learning, but also teacher learning. I believe that giving students a platform on which they can post their opinions to a world wide audience, will benefit those who chose to listen. We can learn so much from children if we stop talking and listen.
I believe we should follow Mr White’s example. How? Rather than simply agree that these new technologies are full of potential to aid student learning – do something about it! Use this technology in real classrooms when on prac. Design lessons or LAM tasks that you could use yourself when you begin teaching, or publish them for others to use. Think creatively about how technology could support learning, and finally, encourage your peers to do the same.

This article is is PDF format and can be accessed on UTS Online.

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