"Education -- at school and on the job -- needs to be revamped to cater to young people who have grown up digital."
This quote, in the conclusion of this article is a conclusion that have come to in my life as well! Teaching is the one profession where it is NOT always mandatory to improve one's self regularly. Especially in the area of technology. In the article referenced earlier, the author talks about the need for a paradigm shift from the sage on the stage model of teaching. I could not agree more, but I seem to see the most resistance to this type of change!
Another article talks about how new technologies might be actually re-wiring the pathways in the brain and the ways that we learn. Could this be true? Should it really matter to educators? I guess on a scientific level it matters, but the reality of it is, that no matter the reason, we have generations of new learners coming through our doors. The second article likens what is happening now with the information revolution to the one that Socrates predicted with the introduction of the written word. The education world was no more ready for this revolution than it seems to be for the one we are in the midst of right now.
More than ever information is being published that talks of how digital natives learn differently, yet educators seem to be divided as to whether or not this is a real issue! How can those that promote education turn a blind eye to progress? Throughout history we have seen, mocked and lamented at how short sighted those in prominent positions in education were in the past with forward thinkers, yet there are still so many of us (educators)who still don't embrace change! It seems contradictory to me.
There is a new breed of learners out there and we as educators are obligated to change the paradigm along with these learners. We need to rise to the challenge and show that as learned individuals we are ready and able to accomodate new learners.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
How-To....that is the question!
How do I...? That is the question most heard by technology educators in schools. While this is not the only dilemma we face it is a huge hurdle. How can one, ed-tech professional know everything? We cant! The greater, more important question is; can we find the resources to get the question answered?
As a Technology Educator for over 10 years, I have always strived to keep my knowledge of new technology up to speed, but alas, it is impossible to know everything about everything in our technological society. The use of Technology in education is moving just as fast as the technology industry itself and in order to reach all of the people who need us, we need to be able to both understand the students and teachers. We have students, who are now being seen as new types of learners, so we have to refine and redefine our pedegogy. We also have teachers, many of whom are seasoned veterans who don't necisarrily understand what these new learners are all about.
With this in mind, we have to address two problems, one what will be effective with our new learners, but in my opinion, even more important, is how do we teach our teachers to effectively use the new tools.
Usually, when a teacher asks, "how do I do this?" it ends up being translated as "can you do this for me?" While this may not be intentional, teachers are sometimes resistant to change. As a technology-educator, I have to be a teacher for teachers and both model the behaviors that are most effective and also have a working knowledge of what they need to make the most effective use of time. In order to do this we need resources, and there are plenty out there. While the most common is to find the answer on the internet, and read/practice what we need, but there is a more tangible answer to be found. There are a plethora of resources out there in the form of other people and professionals. I am a member of several social networks (Ning, Diigo, wikis, etc) that give me access to websites and people who can guide me and most imporantly, PREVENT ME FROM RECREATING THE WHEEL!
Here are a few websites to start the journey:
Article: 15 tutorial sites
Atomic Learning
Free Computer Tutorials
Amazing research tools
Cool Websites and Tools
What do you use? How do you best meet teacher's needs?
As a Technology Educator for over 10 years, I have always strived to keep my knowledge of new technology up to speed, but alas, it is impossible to know everything about everything in our technological society. The use of Technology in education is moving just as fast as the technology industry itself and in order to reach all of the people who need us, we need to be able to both understand the students and teachers. We have students, who are now being seen as new types of learners, so we have to refine and redefine our pedegogy. We also have teachers, many of whom are seasoned veterans who don't necisarrily understand what these new learners are all about.
With this in mind, we have to address two problems, one what will be effective with our new learners, but in my opinion, even more important, is how do we teach our teachers to effectively use the new tools.
Usually, when a teacher asks, "how do I do this?" it ends up being translated as "can you do this for me?" While this may not be intentional, teachers are sometimes resistant to change. As a technology-educator, I have to be a teacher for teachers and both model the behaviors that are most effective and also have a working knowledge of what they need to make the most effective use of time. In order to do this we need resources, and there are plenty out there. While the most common is to find the answer on the internet, and read/practice what we need, but there is a more tangible answer to be found. There are a plethora of resources out there in the form of other people and professionals. I am a member of several social networks (Ning, Diigo, wikis, etc) that give me access to websites and people who can guide me and most imporantly, PREVENT ME FROM RECREATING THE WHEEL!
Here are a few websites to start the journey:
Article: 15 tutorial sites
Atomic Learning
Free Computer Tutorials
Amazing research tools
Cool Websites and Tools
What do you use? How do you best meet teacher's needs?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)