Tuesday, June 18, 2013
In module two, I am struck again by how completely behind I am in the world of technology integration. I love the idea of using Quizstar, for example, to assess students away from school, and I am intrigued by the language of the technology standards. They make me think about my expectations for student engagement in a whole new way. With their emphasis on critical thinking and creativity, however, they also remind me about the danger of confusing teaching with technology and teaching course content. In my math classroom, technology will only ever be a means to an end. As I enter the Web 2.0 world, I need to keep that in mind and to stay focused on the place of technology in my classroom: it's just the tool; it's not the treasure. I often ask students to explore topics using technology, and twice a year (thanks to the International Baccalaureate Internal Assessment) I have asked my students to pick an technology they think appropriate to express their own ideas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nice way to phrase that! I think that too many times, teachers do use the technology as the means to the end (if that makes sense!) They forget what it means to get the students involved in a discussion or a debate! Or sometimes they do not feel like teaching so they say get on the computer and do this or that. Technology should not replace the teacher!
ReplyDeleteI've known teachers who think they can "put their course in a can." By this they mean that they can automate the course so completely that the kids only need online directions and a bit of motivation to learn the material. Although I think this works for some students sometimes, many still mostly need and all still sometimes need the relationship established in the classroom (perhaps even the virtual classroom) between student and teacher to pull them through. As you said, technology really can't replace the teacher.
ReplyDelete