Education as a Student Teacher

Whilst doing some work on another assignment, I came across a great article on computer games. The article is based on the idea that computer games could soon be used in formal educational settings as they are proving to promote socialisation and literacy. The article describes computer games as the “most powerful learning technology of our age.” Researchers and game companies are looking for ways to develop ’serious games’ where learning is integrated in to ‘real-world’ situations. There are of course a few hurdles that are mentioned: the issue of violence, and what “exactly” will the students learn form the games and how can we assess them? and finally, how would students feel if we brought something they enjoy doing in their free time into the classroom?

I’m not sure how well bringing computer games into the classroom will work, especially when a lot of schools only have 30 mins a week with computers. I also feel that the interest and motivation won’t last and that students will soon get bored of them. Then there is the case of students who don’t even like computer games, what will be the cause of action for them?

While viewing this vodcast on mobile learning my mind wonder a little and began to think how “it’s not true that technology is used that much” so I thought a little harder and realised that I really do use technology ALL the time! When I’m not on the lap top my sister is, just today I received a picture on my phone of my boss’s baby born last week, I’m constantly email people from uni about assignments or group meetings, in my last job i used a PDA to send the information from different stores to the head office.

We really are totally immersed in technology so it makes sense to use it for educational purposes. Some of the points that the clip raised included increased concentration, self paced learning, children who work fast can do extra work on mobile technologies or ones who are struggling can do extra practice. Students are more likely to repeat work to get 100% on the mobile devices as opposed to paper work. Privacy in learning, students can learn about topics that often hard to learn about in a face to face situation, such as personal development.

So many articles about ‘new technology’, the internet and how it will be used in the future insist on changing and developing the good old three R’s (reading writing and arithmetic). Sara Armstrong and David Warlick article is no different. They explain that with new technology reading will become “Exposing Knowledge”, arithmetic will be “Employing Information”, writing will become “Expressing ideas compellingly” and they add a fourth “E” “Ethics: right and wrong on information highway.”

I totally disagree with these ideas. Although technology is playing an increasing role in our society, I believe that the three R’s cannot be replaced. Technology is only adding to the things that must be learnt by students today.

Not only do students have to learn how to read, they have to learn to discriminate what they read at a much greater level than ever before.

Not only do students have to learn to write, but now there are even more ways of communicating ideas, will i podcast? this or film it? or write it on my blog?

Students will need to learn a lot to do with new technologies but it is in addition to what they already learn in aim of being literate in society, not in place of it.

Lynne Schrum suggests in her article Technology as a Tool to Support Instruction that the best way to use technology is as a tool in the classroom. Students aren’t and don’t need to ‘learn’ technology, rather they need to learn how to make use of it to help make other learning activities easier.

Lynne also highlights the importance of teachers being involved in the planning process of integrating technology into their programs, rather than being given programs developed by others.

While most other articles are trying to highlight the brilliance of new technology and how it is going to revolutionize the way we teach, Jamie McKenzie examines exactly how all the technology is going to fit in the curriculum.

In McKenzie’s article Stuffing Technology into the Curriculum, she explains that more thought is needed when technology is introduced into schools. What will it be used for? Is it really better than the methods or strategies already in place?

Something I must think about when I start to teach is what will be the best method to get the information or idea across to the children. Not discount traditional methods of teaching and not to force technology into every aspect of teaching.