The articles by Postman and Reigeluth present a great dichotomy of views of technology. Postman is very much opposed to technological advancements while Reigeluth is highly in favor of it. I find myself falling somewhere in the middle of these two viewpoints.
Postman states that new technology has “nothing whatever to do with the fundamental problems we have to solve in schooling our young.” He goes on further to say that education is not exclusively academic, but rather learning how to behave socially. I could not agree more with this statement. When a student leaves their schooling career it is not very realistic or likely that they will remember the difference between a metaphor and a simile or theorems used to solve a geometry proof, but rather the relational lessons they learned from their peers. In this regard I can see where Postman makes a valid point in calling technology a “distraction.” I really believe that many of our youth are losing the ability to relate to their peers without the use of technology; they are constantly hiding behind the computer screen or their cell phone. I am not trying to say that these methods of communication are not valuable, but we should not rely on them for our sole means to communicate with each other. Not only that, but I think that many students use technology as a crutch and do not know how to do basic skills, such as addition or subtraction or writing a letter, without the use of technology.
I do, however, believe that he is incorrect in saying that technology needs to solve a problem in order to have use and value. Technology has made great advancements for our society and has not necessarily solved a problem, but it has enhanced our way of living. Whether he wants to admit it or not technology has improved the convenience of our lives as well as the efficiency and it is here to stay.
On the other hand Reigeluth takes a different viewpoint saying that “technology can transform the way we teach,” but also that to date it “has had minimal impact in K-12 education in the United States.” Part of this is because many teachers are not equipped on how it can transform the way we teach and I also think it is because many schools do not have the monetary resources for the latest technology. I think that technology can be a great tool in the classroom, when used in the right way, to present information in a new way, to make use of virtual field trips just to name a few. Not only that, but it does make learning more exciting for the students because it is something that they can relate to, seeing that it is such a large part of their world. I am sure that technology use in the classroom and will only continue to increase as time passes; I just hope that educators use it in a way to better the students’ education.
One other point that Reigeluth makes that I see as very important is that we cannot rely only on technology. I am firm believer that peer learning and cooperative learning are very effective methods of learning. It has always been said that if you can teach someone else, then you have a firm grasp on the material. Not only that, but technology cannot replace the teacher. The reading curriculum that my students use is from an internet program on headsprout.com and while it is good because it is repetitive and makes things very visually stimulating, both key things for my students with autism. It is not, however, a foolproof way of monitoring the progress of my students because they have figured out how to trick the system, by simply clicking when necessary and they pass through, thus fooling the computer into thinking that they have mastered that level. So you see that the students still need a lot of monitoring. While they should theoretically be able to do this independently, a teacher is still needed for additional teaching. Not only that, but it is hard for them to recognize the same words in other settings. Sometimes doing things the old fashioned way is not such a bad thing, because while technology is a marvelous tool, it does not take away the way that a good feelings that you get when you think about your favorite teacher.
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I tend to agree with your opinion of the two articles. Being a teacher myself I see the constant influx of useless technology in my school. Luckily, we have a policy that prevents students from using i-pods and cell phones in school. The type of technology in school that I find hard to take is that a lot of students can't do simple math calculations with out a calculator. I don't let my own children use calculators at home. They are in second and third grade and I believe that they need to learn the basics by heart early in life. I do, however, use technology to help them practice. Web pages that let kids practice math flash cards and give feedback are very useful. There is no punching buttons to fool the program. I also have them practice reading with a website that will help them pronounce words if they don't know how to pronounce these words themselves. Of course, I am there with them to help and monitor them in case they need help or encouragement. No computer program can take the place of a caring adult. Unfortunately, as you stated, schools don't have the money or human resources to accomplish the same thing in schools.
One point I think we differ is the part where school is only a place where students learn their social skills. I see children every day at different levels of "social education". Most of these students have been in the same school with the same teacher for their entire academic career. The home is the place where these kids learned to interact with other people. As you know, it is always the parents or guardian who have the last word on social behavior. Putting it all on the teacher and school is not very realistic.
School does teach students some lessons in social behavior, but academic skills should be the focal point. (Keep in mind, I teach secondary English, so my reflections are for older kids, not younger. Teachers do need to work on social skills at a younger age.)
Technology can be distracting, but the potential for its use in education, I think, far out weigh the risk of distraction.
I enjoyed reading your reflection and found myself agreeing with you more that I disagreed. I hope you don't mind my discussing future blogs with you.
Respectfully,
Kendra Rork
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