TPCK and Me

I am a firm believer that technology should be chiefly used to complement the content and pedagogical knowledge domains as teachers strive to educate children. The potential danger of technology is the arbitrary insertion of it into the classroom simply because it is the newest, best thing on the market and we wouldn’t want to be seen as depriving our students of having it. This is the very attitude that leads to wasteful spending and low rewards. Technology’s main function should be that of a conduit or bridge that allows students to achieve their learning goals in the most efficient and beneficial way possible.

While observing an actual third grade classroom I discovered that a significant number of the students had trouble expressing their ideas in small group situations. Since my unit and lesson plan features collaboration among students, it concerned me that this was happening. Being third graders it could just be a case of shyness and not feeling comfortable enough to speak up in a small group. Whatever the reason, their non-participation in group discussions would hinder one of the lesson goals which would be to practice successful collaboration with others. A solution came to mind in the form of a Wiki, the existence of which I was unaware of prior to taking this class.

By having each student to individually contribute a response on their class wiki to each structural area of their group’s argument, it would give the more reticent students a non confrontational environment to communicate their ideas. In essence it allowes the knowledge of technology to have a positive impact on the pedagogical domain or knowledge of how I teach to best benefit all the students.

In thinking about the various aspects of my unit and lesson plans I’m somewhat concerned about how well all the students will be able to transition into using the various technology aspects to complete their assignments. I wouldn’t want the inability to manipulate a certain technology aspect to adversely affect their acquisition of the content they are to learn. Since I have set aside class time to help familiarize each student with the technology, I don’t believe that this will be the case. However as a conscientious educator I would stay vigilant to ensure that none of the students are left confused.

Standards here, there, and Everywhere!

The National Technology Standards for teachers and students are detailed and far reaching. Obviously, the authors of both documents made a good faith effort to address the concerns of how to properly prepare students to successfully function in a digital world. In regards to the student directives, the emphasis on creativity, communication, collaboration and digital citizenship are laudable goals to be sure. However, I was struck by the apparent reliance to use digital media and environments to develop cultural understanding and facilitate engagement with other cultures. It seems to me that before we allow digital technology to be our student’s conduit to interaction with members of other cultures, we as educators should first perform due diligence and assess whether or not our students are up to that challenge. The tendency for individuals within a given culture is to believe that the way their culture operates is correct and anything contrary to that is incorrect is a pervasive one. If these types of ethnocentric views are not dealt with prior to a student’s digital engagement with another culture, their subsequent communication may prove confusing and unproductive.

Likewise, upon reviewing the teacher directives of designing and developing digital-age learning experiences to facilitate and inspire student creativity, I couldn’t help but view this as another case of one size does not fit all. My field experiences have afforded me the opportunity to see up close how districts, schools and classrooms are not all created equal. Each has varying curriculums, levels of funding, and student body challenges. It is somewhat incredulous to require teachers to design learning experiences that incorporate digital tools that their students have no access to due to budgetary constraints.

At a basic level I believe the likelihood that I and others will be able to successfully operate within the guidelines of these standards as practicing educators will greatly depend on resources at our disposal, time to employ these standards, and the capabilities of the students we will be working with.

Integrating Computer Software into Education

I can fully envision utilizing all three types of computer software in my classroom when I begin teaching. Each one has a unique set of attributes which will make them useful in terms of assisting the learner’s ability to learn. The teacher-centered tutor or drill software aids the learner’s ability to automatically recall lower order skills which are a prerequisite to mastering more advanced concepts. The software’s functionality which includes immediate feedback makes the lesson more motivating for some students and saves the instructor correction time. I would use this type of software to reinforce a recently covered lesson to promote encoding of the information in long-term memory.
Directed inquiry software programs such as Webquests and E-Sheets are more child centered and progressive in nature. They focus more on collaboration and children learning by doing. As a teacher I would guide the process by selecting the appropriate programs for my students which fit into my lesson plan and would provide the most meaningful connection to the topics we have discussed. I would use these programs as a fun exercise for the purpose of students demonstrating their knowledge of the subject at hand.
The student-centered constructivist software programs such as Etoys allow students to be free to come up with their own solutions and construct their own knowledge. I would want to be secure in the knowledge that my students thoroughly understood the basics of my lesson before moving into software programs like Etoys. I believe in the opportunity for students to construct their own knowledge with a degree of teacher guidance; however the experience with Etoys demonstrated the potential frustration that could result if adequate technical support is not on hand if and when the students run into roadblocks. Utilizing software programs that unduly frustrate the student is counterproductive and unnecessary when so many non-technical methods of accomplishing the same goal are available.

Increase Media Use of 8 - 18 Year Olds!

Use of media such as computers, TV, music, video games, and movies by 8 – 18 year olds has increased in recent years, and in some cases in a dramatic fashion. The natural question is what effect; good, bad, or indifferent is media exposure having on our children? Also, what is the opportunity cost of their media activity? In other words, what are they not doing by spending so much time with media that could be affecting their cognitive, personal and social development?

I suggest that our young people are learning with great efficiency how to interface with today’s technology far better than most adults could ever hope to. Some adults may even envy how quickly our youngsters can tweet, twitter and face book while listening to their favorite musical artist on their MP3 player, while also doing their algebra homework. However, I believe these same children are developing a formidable deficit in their ability to successfully develop and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships, as well as the ability to read the intentions of others. Being able to participate in meaningful way socially is a necessary tool for every member of society. It is a skill that has to be developed through repeated interactions with others. Media exposure increase may be reducing the time our youngsters need to increase these skills.

I believe that our educational system will need to press society on the dangers of too much media exposure and stress moderation in time spent with media in favor of more productive uses. As a teacher, I may need to set up situations which stress collaborative activities among students to help lessen the impact of time spent with media and not with people.

Role of Technology in Education

My philosophy of education is most closely aligned with that of Educational Humanism which is child centered and has the goal of producing students who question information and who can critically evaluate its usefulness. Furthermore, I believe that we should strive to actively involve students in the learning process. By doing so, the students will be more motivated and interested in the subject matter. Interested students are more confident in themselves and their ability to positively affect the world around them.

Technology’s role should be that of an aid to help involve students in the learning process, as well as to help them understand the world as it exists today. Technology can make it possible to have students experience the world in ways that were unimaginable just 10 years ago. They can now see how people from other cultures half way around the world live. They can communicate and share ideas with fellow students whom they may never have an opportunity to meet in person, but are connected to by their shared curiosity in each other.

However, technology also has the potential to be misused if it is thoughtlessly inserted into the classroom simply because the technology exists. Technology has a place only if it aids the teacher in meeting the goals of the curriculum. Otherwise it is simply a distraction that the learning process cannot afford.

Stay tuned for an update regarding what role technology should play in education.