I feel like I haven't posted anything substantive here for a few days, so here's the beginnings of an essay that I'm writing:
The last time I spoke through a microphone at a McDonalds’ drive through, I wondered where the person on the other end was located. As you may know, some McDonalds have contracts with distant companies in which the contractor takes the order for the restaurant and transmits it back to the staff so that it can be prepared. Of course, all of this happens between the time that you place your order and the time that you drive up to the window. Modern technology really is incredible.
Despite the great resources available with technology, (i.e., computers and the Internet) many teachers shy away fro using the computer for teaching and learning purposes. Just yesterday, a technology teacher at a school in Michigan told me that one of the teachers in her school uses the computer as a plant holder. I can’t help but wonder if many teachers are simply too invested in making sure that their students learn the required content to think about how to use technology. These teachers may not have thought about how technology can support students in learning required material. They tend to think of technology as an either or proposition. Either allow students to use technology or teach them the required content.
This either or proposition hinders effective education. Rather than considering technology as separate and distinct from content, educators should learn to see traditional content and technology as complimenting one another. In order for this to occur, I believe that three things must happen. First, teachers should become comfortable using technology. Second, teachers must recognize the ways in which technology can support student learning. Finally, but perhaps most importantly, school systems must provide teachers with the flexibility to effectively incorporate technology into teaching and learning.
First…Teachers must become comfortable with using technology.
Many teachers are simply afraid of computers. Stories abound of teachers who beg their principals not to require them to submit attendance on-line. These teachers long for days that no longer exist, days before modern technology. Students in these classes must “power down” before they enter the classroom. Some teachers are comfortable using computers for their own needs, such as emailing or web surfing, but they don’t want to direct or even facilitate the use of computers, with students.
It’s not surprise that most teachers don’t feel comfortable asking students to use computers to fulfill specific learning objectives. After all, Marc Prensky calls children “Digital Natives” and adults “Digital Immigrants.” If you immigrated to Russia would you want to lead Russians around Moscow?
Many teachers figure that if they simply step back, students will take the lead when it comes to using computers. But isn’t that just like giving kids pens and paper, sitting them down in a library and expecting them to do something productive? Sure, some students would take the initiative to read. Others might write poetry. Many might doodle. More would simply do nothing.
Technology will not support student learning if teachers don’t feel comfortable enough with computers to formally incorporate them in learning activities. However, significantly, teachers won’t become comfortable in this way until they have actually utilized computers and the Internet to facilitate high quality learning. So the question is, how does one initially motivate teachers to use technology?
The answer is simple: Just Do It!!
Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler describe using a system they call “Learning by Design” to help teachers learn to use technology effectively. Through this learning paradigm, participants simply plunge into lesson development in which they incorporate the use of technology.
Second…Teachers must recognize that technology can support high quality learning.
This essay is not done. It should be by the end of the weekend.
