Blog for you, blog for me, blog for baby makes three…
The ubiquitous quality of technology in our lives is starkly contrasted by the availability of technology in the classroom. While we have podcasts and blogs, streaming media and complicated presentations as an active part of our private lives, the use of technology in the classroom on a practical basis seems to be limited at best.
I see fantastic resources available to us in the university; technology and instruction was a fantastic class that really opened my eyes to the possibilities inherent in the available tech provided by simple office suite programs. When I am in the classroom, however, I have to scramble for an LCD projector, dual task the standard housekeeping roles of the laptop with the demands of running a presentation, and utterly discount the possibility of streaming video; the pipes just aren’t fat enough.
Give the schools five years to catch up; do you think they will? I hope they do, but while we wait, I will continue the scramble to expose our visual learners to all that I can in the way of technology. Even the old standby of the overhead projector has immense power with these students. Put something up on screen in front of them, and they shift into an absorption mode of being; they sop up the information, and seem to be better able to retain what they learn when they SEE it. Have any of you observed this?
March 11th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Hi Ludlow,
I clearly found what you have discovered. There’s been research indicating that 40 to 65% of learners are visual learners. For me, it was always a challenge to design learning experiences that addressed the variety of learning styles in the classroom.
I’m struck by your comment on students in absorption mode and wonder what your reaction would be to this text from David Warlick: “In most classrooms, we have done an excellent job, for many years, in teaching our children to be good consumers of content — good readers and learners. I believe that we must now become just as successful in teaching our children to become good and responsible producers of content, writers, artists, composers, etc. — good communicators. In the information age, it is information with which we will work, to fashion content products that have value, that entertains and teaches. Rather than just making students information consumers, make them information artisans.” http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/archives/1143
Best,
Lani
March 11th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Lani–
Thank you for your mindful comments. I agree, these students need to be taught how to be good communicators. I think they only need a little bit of guidance in form and tone; these students are already producing material. It is so easy to distribute created works through the internet. Many of these digital natives are already creators of content, we just need to show them or provide new avenues for creative outlet. I am looking forward to reading Mr. Warlick…
-Ludlow