1. EDT5410 Fall 2012 (Week1)
2. Reigeluth, C.M. & Joseph, R. (2002). Beyond technology integration: The case for technology transformation. Educational Technology, 42(4), 9-13.
Postman, N. (1993). Of Luddites, learning, and life. Technos Quarterly, 2(4).
3. 9/05/2012
When we talk about Education, the most important and ideal classes are teachers are not at the center of th classes but students are. I mean students themselves should create a class with peers. Like Reigeluth & Joseph essay states, peers should be always the best partners to learn. Also, they say teacher shouldn’t lead the classes too much but just guide of the procedures of the classes from the side with a few instructions. That’s what I really have believed. These aspects seem to be from Social Constructivism by Vygotsky, L.S like they say. Communication and cooperation among learners is regarded as the most important factor under his idea, and one of the main three points of this philosophy is group learning and collaboration. The other one is Zorn of Proximal Development (ZPD). ZPD really equivalents to the status in Reigeluth & Joseph essay that learners can improve problem solving abilities under the environment amount peers who assist them each other. Considering these ideas and states, on-line classes including in EDT5410 are also regarded as the same situations and it’s better for us to learn with my classmates through these technologies.
On the other hand, I also agree with the states that technology and information don’t solve all problems in schools like Postman says. Actually, considering just my experiences as a substitute in Elementary schools, I feel there are more serious problems that don’t seem to be involved in technology like students’ family problems, bullies in fellows, teacher-parents relationships, and more. Whenever thinking about these problems paid attention in the present, I’m wondering why these problems didn’t happen in old times. If I consider about this, it might be correct that they happen because we lack something else that schools should manage now according to Postman.
However, I don’t totally agree the idea that technology is no reliability for solving these problems. I believe it depends on instructor’s abilities and experiences and flexibilities in schools and timing of integrating them. Also, students and teachers are required to calculate media literacy first. Technology can connect students and students and students and families.
I will introduce two examples to mix the traditional methods and technology observing the class situation and environment. For example, when I was a substitute teacher, I felt like sciences classes require real experiences for having students activity for the subject like observation spring natures. However, the weathers weren’t always clear to experience physically outside. Moreover, it was difficult to observe wild swallows. Then I used interactive whiteboard in the class to show bugs, flowers, birds, and more in spring. Also, they could see the detail parts of the livings by enlarge of the video and pictures. Students were given visual information via the screen in even the impossible condition. Another example is English class that I researched for my graduating thesis. My object of the research was how to integrate technologies in ESL classes. As the result, instructors utilize interactive whiteboard with music and dancing between explaining. Students were motivated by the characters and moving, and all students answered the class was really fun and they liked English.
Therefore, my opinion is that not all problems are possible to be solved by information and technology and schools have to make efforts to solve them without technology first, though technology should be one of assists with better ways to use. I want to find a problem that happens in schools and how we can solve it with technology support.
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