Technology used effectively in education can transform and enrich the learning process. However, with the positives, there come some negatives also.
In an interesting article that I read, Karehka Ramsey discusses barriers to the effective use of technology. Three of these were:
Lack of professional development
Resistance to change
Access
Lack of professional development is a barrier as teachers may feel unprepared to learn and integrate technology into their teaching. There is a risk that students may be hungry for technological development, but cannot receive it from someone who is not trained. Resistance to change is a personal aspect for each teacher. Some teachers may not want to change their tactics of teaching and that the preparation of using technology in their lessons can be demanding on their time. This would prove to be a strong barrier and staff development/training on using ICT could be made available for teachers. Access is another barrier, not all rooms may have an interactive white board fitted into them, or some might be missing projectors. I must admit, in Pembrokeshire College most rooms are fitted with an interactive board and projector which has been really helpful. I want to add another barrier to the effective use of technology in lessons:
cost
Some schools or colleges may not be able to afford equipment. It can be expensive to install technological functions and there is also the cost of having laptops/computers for students.
The latest developments in technology have given rise to a variety of mobile related products. These include handheld pcs such as the Palm handheld and the Windows Pocket PC based handhelds such as the HP Jornada. These handheld pcs offer the opportunity to record and browse information whilst on the move and then easily connect and download to your desktop pc. (Reece and Walker, 2003; 185)
As Reece and Walker have stated, a variety of mobile related products have arisen over the years. For me, there is the question of what good mobile phones have in the class room. Even since I was in school at 18 years-old, five years ago, there seems to be a huge increase in the use of mobile phones. Some students come into a class and cannot last a few minutes until checking their phones, it seems like it is being used even more than a pen and paper in class. It is probably the technology that is used by students the most out of school, mobile phone technology is something that they are familiar with. It is like a security blanket to students, but for many teachers it is the bane of their lives. I must say that I do not like to see a mobile phone in sight when I am teaching in the class room. I feel that the concentration spent looking at a phone screen would be better used listening or doing the tasks in the class. How can learning really be improved by mobile phones? However, perhaps instead of fighting against mobile phone use, education should harness this technological tool and use it as a positive for learning.
After setting students a task in my GCSE English class to pick a topic to present a speech on, I spotted one student scrolling down the touchscreen of their mobile phone. I asked why they were not doing what I asked of them and they replied saying that they were researching statistics to put in their speech. At this point, I was unsure of what to do. Of course usual mobile phone use is thought of as distracting, but in this circumstance, it had an educational purpose. Sure enough, when I went to check the phone, a page on deforestation of the amazon forest filled the screen. As I have mentioned in my blog about technology changing learning, one point I made was how accessible online information now is to students. Perhaps monitored, use of mobile phones can be used in a class room to benefit learning. Again, it should not dominate lessons, but it seems that in some classes where mobile phone use is strong there could be strategies to utilize usage for the better. Jonathan Wylie argues: 'Students are more engaged and motivated to learn when they use mobile devices, and research shows that academic performances can improve.'
The method of socrative where students use their mobile phones has been discussed, although it was in my opinion something that I was weary of. For one, not every child can afford the latest and most technological phones. If mobile technology was going to be used in lessons, then there would have to be back-up equipment for students who do not own the phones needed for certain tasks. Similarly to socrative is a site called: Poll Everywhere, which offers a quiz but also the chance for people to use Text in the mob which is a texting poll device which any phone, old or new can use.
In the end, mobile phones are part of our everyday lives and have slipped into the education system whether we like it or not. Maybe we should follow the mantra: 'If you can't beat it, join it.' In which case don't simply join it, use it in the best ways possible for learning.
Bibliography Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2003) 'Teaching, training and learning: a practical guide' (5th revised ed.). Tyne and Wear: Business Education. http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Mobile_Review.pdf [Accessed 20 January 2015]
Jonathan Wylie, (2013), 'Mobile Learning Technologies for 21st Century Classrooms' in
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3754742 http://www.polleverywhere.com/how-it-works [Accessed 20 January 2015]
There is no doubt that over the years, technology has
changed learning and teaching processes and has transformed education as a
whole. If you would have said to my Father that chalk boards will one day be
replaced with interactive white boards that you can play videos from and make
presentations with then he would have a) found it unbelievable, and b) he
would be envious of what future generations have for learning. Students are
fortunate nowadays that such amazing technologies and IT resources are now
available to them. Teachers are also given the chance to use technology to
enhance their lessons and to make preparing lessons less time-consuming. The
door-way into the digital world has changed the way students and teachers
learn. I would not have even believed that I would have used my mobile phone to
participate in a class quiz, but through socrative I did. Gone are the days of
spending endless hours writing notes down with the dull ache in your arm, now, typing-up documents is the quickest and securest way of getting essays and
notes written- (hence the name of my bog: To
pen to paper to blog)
I was reading an interesting article by Dr. Katherine
McKnight, where she discusses how technology has changed the way we learn. She
noted the top twelves way IT has changed learning, but I like to discuss in
greater detail thwo of the points McKnight touched upon:
Communication Evolution- starting teaching
English classes, I have definitely noticed the difference in communication.
Students have told me how the way they text does have an influence on the way
they write. This has had a negative effect on some students’ way of writing, as
they are used to shortening words or writing sentences in ‘text talk.’I have had students also say that they rely
on auto spell-check on Microsoft word, however, there is the option of removing
auto spell-check and Microsoft word does also offer a dictionary and thesaurus.
This is a positive feature, but I still stand by the fact that a book-form
dictionary and thesaurus is more effective resource to use as it offers more
choice. Students communicate in many different modalities as a result of technology.
It is up to educators to take the good with the bad ways in which technology
has changed learning, and in some aspects there are resources that still
outweigh technological ones. Technology has given the ‘old dog’ of education,
‘new tricks’ to use and display.
Rise of Web-Based Research- information can be
assessed through the click of a button. In an instant, the internet can feed
you information on a wide-range of topic wherever you are sat. You no longer
need to go to a library and spend hours finding a book, in fact you do not even
have to physically hold in your hands the information you are reading.Computers in libraries are like having a
library within a library. What one computer holds, or what one mobile phone
holds can educate you in minutes. I agree with McKnight’s argument that because
it takes less time to find information, we spend more time digesting, thinking,
and learning about new information.
As teachers we are facilitating learning, therefore
technology should not be ignored or feared. It is important we use it as part
of our role as educators. As Geoff Petty states:
At work,
most of your students will swim in an environment dominated by word processors,
spreadsheets, databases, and email and Internet searches. If you don’t prepare
your learners by showing them how to make natural use of powerful tools, you
are not preparing them for work. (Petty, p.391).
Therefore, technology is everywhere in our lives. Most jobs
require employees to be computer literate and to be able to use Microsoft
applications. Ensuring a successful future for students, teachers should make
technology as seamless as possible within education. As Petty also states: ‘it
is what students do that creates learning, not what technology does.’
Technology should not complicate learning, it should make it easier and more
understandable.
References:
Geoff Petty, (2008), ‘Students learning with computers: e-learning,
ICT and ILT,’ in Teaching Today: A
practical guide, 4th ed. (Cheltenham, Nelson Thorne: 2009), pp.
391-507, p.391.
AnyMeeting offers free and low-cost web conferencing,
and the chance to use video conferencing and webinar services.When looking at the site: https://www.anymeeting.com/, some of the features AnyMeeting offers include-
6- way video conferencing
Share your screen
Hold large or small meetings
Built-in conference calling
Play youtube clips
Present PowerPoint slides
Mobile friendly
Facebook and Twitter integration
Personal meeting URL
I hadnever come across AnyMeeting before being on the PGCE programme and I was intrigued to see what it was all about. One lesson my fellow PGCE peers and I got to try it out. It did not exactly work, in fact it did not really work at all. Our faces on the screen become frozen, giving us permanently odd expressions and our voices could not be heard in the webinar. Therefore, my experience of AnyMeeting was not a positive one, although I am willing to try the technology out further, as I believe that used correctly it could be a useful software. Having online services such as this may be the future of teaching in the sense that this could be how we hold meetings with students/colleagues and how we give extra help and tutoring to students outside of class. For now I am not participating in AnyMeeting, but I may very well find myself in one one day. Just because this software did not work once does not mean I should reject or dismiss it. As I have said throughout the blog, using technology is a learning block for me and as we expect students to embrace all aspects of learning, so we as teachers should be motivated to experiment with a variety of ILT. References: https://www.anymeeting.com/ [Accessed 15 January 2015]
Sir Ken Robinson: 'How to stop education's death valley.'
This Ted Talk by Sir Ken Robinson was really useful to view. It made me think of my role as a teacher, the educational system now and in the future, and how it is important to be a not remain the type of person who is immovable but the type who moves. In this blog post, I want to share with you what Sir Ken Robinson discussed.
Robinson discusses in His motivational and informative speech, about the three principles which human life flourishes. He says how these are often contradicted by the culture of education by under which most labour and those students endure. Here were the principles he states:
1. Human beings are naturally different and diverse- There should be an equal weighting in curriculum, not just a focus on Maths and Science, but also on the Arts, Humanities and physical education also. Robinson argues that kids prosper best within a curriculum that offers variety and celebrates various talents. Arts can speak to parts of the human being that otherwise are untouched.
2. Curiosity- kids can often learn without assistance, as curiosity can be the engine of achievement. Teachers are the life plug of schools. Great teachers: stimulate, provoke and engage.
Robinson argues that the whole point of education is to learn and as teachers, we must facilitate learning. Task and achievement are different. Is the activity achieving anything? Ken links this notion by using a great analogy of dieting. You may be performing the task of dieting, but are you achieving the weight loss?
Robinson also stresses that even though testing is important in education, it should not be the main focus. Teachers should support learning and tests should not be the driving force. Something that he says in his speech which I have taken on board is that: 'teachers follow routine rather than to excite power of imagination and curiosity.' I do not want to forget that learning can be a passion, a hunger for some people, but that for some, they require more enticement to feel hungry for learning. It is my job to capture natural curiosity, to facilitate curiosity and to generate curiosity during teaching.
3. Human life is inherently creative- as humans we evolve ourselves and we have the ability to recreate our lives. Education should awaken and develop these powers of creativity. If teachers fall into the pattern of sticking to standardization, surely there is the chance to individualize teaching and learning is minimized. My specialist subject of English really seeks to capture the 'creative,' and 'imaginative' through writing, presentations and story-writing. However, someone's imagination and curiosity can be applied to every subject. It is my aim to continually procure the most fascinating parts of students' thinking, the most personal, which of course are their individual minds.
I also enjoyed Robinson's statement that: 'Education is not a mechanical system- it is a human system.' It is about the people and their personal journeys through education.
Robinson ends by saying that a change of conditions in schools (student/teacher relationships, opportunities, expectations), can breathe life into a school. He encourages: 'Create a climate of possibility.' Robinson argues that in creating a climate of possibilities will be what helps to revolutionize education.
This Ted talk has really inspired me and has made me explore other Ted talks. Shameful to say, before being on the PGCE, I had never heard of Ted talks. It really is a useful and enjoyable way of injecting some meaningful and useful advice into your life. If you haven't had a look, here is the chance to check it out with the following link: https://www.ted.com/
References:
Sir Ken Robinson, 'How to stop education's death valley,'(2013), at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc [ Accessed 8 January 2015]
Mindy Keller is a high school English teacher and being that English is my specialized subject, I instantly engaged with the content of this blog. 'Joyful Collapse' offers information on pedagogical approaches and helps teachers in determining best practices for reaching today's adolescents. Mindy has even written a book, 'Transparent Teaching for Adolescents,'which would be interesting to read, especially after reading the discussions on her blog so far.
One blog post that I found particularly interesting to read was: 'Want to effectively integrate technology? Make it invisible.'This blog encourages the use of technology in the classroom,
however, Keller does not believe that it should be the main focus of the lesson. Here is a statement from the blog, which has had an effect on the way I think when trying to integrate technology in my lessons:
We don’t want the tool to be the
focus, nor do we want the tool to drive the learning. Rather, the goal is to
put the learning first and allow the use of the tool to be so seamless, so
natural, so smooth as a means to reach the objective, that it is…invisible.
The word 'invisible' does not mean technology is not there,
it means that it does not cloud
the visibility of what the teaching is try to
say. Keller argues that the objective
of a lesson is what the focus should be around. Technology can frame the lesson and give
these objectives strength, but the more natural and seamless it is weaved into the lesson
the better.
Helpfully, Keller has added a list of ways that can be used to make technology feel 'invisible:'
1.
Ask big questions. What kinds of questions do you want kids to be
thinking about
as they move into the lesson/unit? Generally, the use of
clearly
relevant how, why, or what if questions tend to stimulate
more
thought.
2.
Based on those questions and your state standards, create learning
objectives.
What
should the student be able to do by the end of this lesson unit?
3. Determine
what technology tools will aid the students
in
reaching those objectives.
Even better,
offer students a choice of tools. In the examples above,
the
most logical technology tools are:
-A
curation tool to gather and house research (Pinterest, Symbaloo,or other)
-A
word processing tool (Google docs, Word, or other) OR
-Another
publishing tool (Podcast, blog, Glogster, or other)
Therefore, what this blog really instilled in me is the way that the lesson needs to remain focused
on the objective. Integrating ICT into lessons can be incredibly enriching to the learning
experience, but the art of making it so would mean that it is 'invisible.' I do not mean that it is
not an obvious use to students, moreover that it is done in a way that fits the lesson
strategies so seamlessly that it becomes natural. As Keller sums up in her blog post, hopefully
you will end with a response from a student that: 'We're talking about why there is still racism,'
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