Exactly
how serious is the Education system about technology? There's an
interactive whiteboard in most classrooms these days but not all
teachers use them for any more than the previous generation of
technology: a whiteboard and a projector. Some don't even go that
far. On top of that, I remember the first time I went to a CyberSafety
PD and they said "Teacher laptops should not be connected to interactive
whiteboards" as a safety issue but most schools force the use of the
teacher's laptop as a cost cutting measure. This has a huge impact on
us as CRTs.
I walk into classrooms where the lesson plan requires the use of the interactive whiteboard and... The laptop with all of the software to drive the IWB is usually just as "away" as the teacher is or doing whatever it is they are doing.
The way the system is set up simply isn't conducive to being able to deliver a reliable ICT experience. The same can be said for 1:1 iPad or laptop rooms. Lacking reliable access to these devices with the same software installed simply prevents CRTs from having adequate access to classroom ICT equipment to become familiar with everything they need to become familiar with to effectively deliver many lessons that are left by classroom teachers when they involve ICT.
In my tutoring I'm also running into another issue. Students having problems with their education because of ICT. They either come from an ICT heavy classroom into one that isn't or vice versa. They have a sudden change in environment and their learning strategies don't match that new arena. We see that the ICT savvy are taking up this technology quickly and becoming believers while others just aren't. And there's not really a lot of cooperation between the two camps and sometimes the relationships between them are downright hostile on a few fronts. There's very little cooperation. Each camp thinks they are right and doing well in their classroom but a lack of cooperation means the shift between the two can be very difficult for students.
I think we also sometimes forget that despite the heavy focus on classroom ICT in the media and teaching pedagogy, the technology itself is still in it's infancy. It's still changing and evolving at a rapid rate with new studies causing shifts in "best practice" and the format of apps and other electronic teaching/learning tools.
The last one is that access to ICT outside of school isn't as prevalent as many seem to think it is. Flip Teaching for example relies on students having adequate access to ICT outside of school. It can be a heavy burden on low income families who are already paying more than they can afford to keep their children in school.
There's no cohesive approach and bouncing from classroom to classroom, from teaching strategy to teaching strategy, is placing a heavy burden on many students. Each teacher is following the path they consider best in the absence of a standard framework, navigating a minefield of mixed signals where the next step could be the one that explodes. It's creating tension to the point where I've sat in staffrooms and overheard 2 skillful teachers who use ICT each telling the other that what they are doing couldn't possibly work; despite both classes doing well.
This, to me, says that the education system overall is somewhat at the same stage as schools in the video rather than being all that serious about technology in education. Promoting up-to-date teaching practices regarding ICT is all very well and good but without having a stance on what those "up to date teaching practices are" makes it hard to create an adequate structure for schools to operate within. Even if they do? The technology and pedagogy surrounding technology in the classroom is still in a state of rapid evolution. What works well this year might not work so well next year or even after the next reliable and valuable piece of research comes out.
So we move onto the second issue in the video; does it really stifle my creativity as a teacher? Well, having had a serious think on the subject, no.
The way my husband explained it to me is this: "Do I have a mobile phone?" The answer is "yes he does" but he goes out and buys a new pre-paid sim when we go on holidays. As soon as we get home he pulls out the sim card, throws it in the bin, packs away the phone and puts it into the cupboard. He is firmly of the opinion that he has a phone plugged into the wall to make and receive calls, a computer for the internet, a tablet for the internet if he wants it while sitting in the back yard with the kids. Why does he need another way to make a call or get on the internet unless he's out on the road on holidays? In the context of the conversation what he was saying was "just because it's there doesn't mean you have to use it or even that it's actually needed considering the other options placed before you".
ICT in classrooms is engaging and effective, there's no arguing with that. It belongs there, like my husband's mobile phone it serves a purpose and is great when that purpose needs addressing. The thing is, I can certainly choose not to use it when I see another way to do the same thing. As long as the education I provide is as engaging and effective without it there's simply no reason to treat it as any more important than any other teaching tool. I have to use it at a certain level to make sure my students are prepared for what's coming if they hit an ICT heavy classroom in following years to be sure but even the "experts" acknowledge that classroom technology isn't as crucial as many believe it to be.
In fact I feel I would be robbing my students if I didn't focus on other creative classroom tools too. It's the creativity of my students that would be stifled and I'm far more worried about that aspect.
It's 100% true that ICT can be a very creative tool. Making audio and video files, creating games and apps and even drawing and modelling things in image programs. One thing we must never forget is that there's limits. You can design the perfect paper aeroplane but what you can't do is reach into the screen, grab it and throw it across the room with your friend. Technology can't let you do everything.
So no. I don't feel like my creativity is being stifled in the slightest. Classroom technology isn't the teacher, it's a tool for the teacher to use when the situation calls for it. Just like any other tool in your arsenal as a teacher.
Regards,
Mel.
I walk into classrooms where the lesson plan requires the use of the interactive whiteboard and... The laptop with all of the software to drive the IWB is usually just as "away" as the teacher is or doing whatever it is they are doing.
The way the system is set up simply isn't conducive to being able to deliver a reliable ICT experience. The same can be said for 1:1 iPad or laptop rooms. Lacking reliable access to these devices with the same software installed simply prevents CRTs from having adequate access to classroom ICT equipment to become familiar with everything they need to become familiar with to effectively deliver many lessons that are left by classroom teachers when they involve ICT.
In my tutoring I'm also running into another issue. Students having problems with their education because of ICT. They either come from an ICT heavy classroom into one that isn't or vice versa. They have a sudden change in environment and their learning strategies don't match that new arena. We see that the ICT savvy are taking up this technology quickly and becoming believers while others just aren't. And there's not really a lot of cooperation between the two camps and sometimes the relationships between them are downright hostile on a few fronts. There's very little cooperation. Each camp thinks they are right and doing well in their classroom but a lack of cooperation means the shift between the two can be very difficult for students.
I think we also sometimes forget that despite the heavy focus on classroom ICT in the media and teaching pedagogy, the technology itself is still in it's infancy. It's still changing and evolving at a rapid rate with new studies causing shifts in "best practice" and the format of apps and other electronic teaching/learning tools.
The last one is that access to ICT outside of school isn't as prevalent as many seem to think it is. Flip Teaching for example relies on students having adequate access to ICT outside of school. It can be a heavy burden on low income families who are already paying more than they can afford to keep their children in school.
There's no cohesive approach and bouncing from classroom to classroom, from teaching strategy to teaching strategy, is placing a heavy burden on many students. Each teacher is following the path they consider best in the absence of a standard framework, navigating a minefield of mixed signals where the next step could be the one that explodes. It's creating tension to the point where I've sat in staffrooms and overheard 2 skillful teachers who use ICT each telling the other that what they are doing couldn't possibly work; despite both classes doing well.
This, to me, says that the education system overall is somewhat at the same stage as schools in the video rather than being all that serious about technology in education. Promoting up-to-date teaching practices regarding ICT is all very well and good but without having a stance on what those "up to date teaching practices are" makes it hard to create an adequate structure for schools to operate within. Even if they do? The technology and pedagogy surrounding technology in the classroom is still in a state of rapid evolution. What works well this year might not work so well next year or even after the next reliable and valuable piece of research comes out.
So we move onto the second issue in the video; does it really stifle my creativity as a teacher? Well, having had a serious think on the subject, no.
The way my husband explained it to me is this: "Do I have a mobile phone?" The answer is "yes he does" but he goes out and buys a new pre-paid sim when we go on holidays. As soon as we get home he pulls out the sim card, throws it in the bin, packs away the phone and puts it into the cupboard. He is firmly of the opinion that he has a phone plugged into the wall to make and receive calls, a computer for the internet, a tablet for the internet if he wants it while sitting in the back yard with the kids. Why does he need another way to make a call or get on the internet unless he's out on the road on holidays? In the context of the conversation what he was saying was "just because it's there doesn't mean you have to use it or even that it's actually needed considering the other options placed before you".
ICT in classrooms is engaging and effective, there's no arguing with that. It belongs there, like my husband's mobile phone it serves a purpose and is great when that purpose needs addressing. The thing is, I can certainly choose not to use it when I see another way to do the same thing. As long as the education I provide is as engaging and effective without it there's simply no reason to treat it as any more important than any other teaching tool. I have to use it at a certain level to make sure my students are prepared for what's coming if they hit an ICT heavy classroom in following years to be sure but even the "experts" acknowledge that classroom technology isn't as crucial as many believe it to be.
In fact I feel I would be robbing my students if I didn't focus on other creative classroom tools too. It's the creativity of my students that would be stifled and I'm far more worried about that aspect.
It's 100% true that ICT can be a very creative tool. Making audio and video files, creating games and apps and even drawing and modelling things in image programs. One thing we must never forget is that there's limits. You can design the perfect paper aeroplane but what you can't do is reach into the screen, grab it and throw it across the room with your friend. Technology can't let you do everything.
So no. I don't feel like my creativity is being stifled in the slightest. Classroom technology isn't the teacher, it's a tool for the teacher to use when the situation calls for it. Just like any other tool in your arsenal as a teacher.
Regards,
Mel.
No comments:
Post a Comment