I have been continuing to do research for my project on Web 2.0/technology and education and have been visiting the blogs and websites of various educators who have studied this field. I have been reading some interesting articles on the status of technology and education, including this one on how education is used in colleges. I was planning on focusing on education in the secondary school or high school level, but this article was just too good not to use.
The article begins with a discussion of the different theories in teaching, and how some believe in "open education" in which the student is more actively involved in his learning and how some (mostly the octogenarians) believe in a more lecture orientated curriculum. The problem is that many students, at least those who actually want to learn something, do not want to be talked AT. They would rather be engaged/involved in the discussion. From personal experience, I would much rather have a teacher who involved the class, whether through debates or simple anecdotes, than a teacher who stood up and lectured for forty minutes.
The article then goes on to mention how Web 2.0 and open education are linked, and how, in modern times, one cannot have one without the other. Web 2.0 technology and tools engages the students and makes them more interested in the lesson, leading them to learning more. If a student can experience the concept being taught by the lesson in an engaging way, such as through an Animoto video or a collaborative Wiki, this will stimulate their minds and allow the knowledge to more easily be absorbed. The article ends with a discussion of how some Internet tools take us away from humanity but how some, such as Web 2.0, brings us closer to humanity by providing a way for us to interact with each other in a learning environment.
This article reminded me of a blog post I read by Patrick Higgins that discusses his recent trip to an education conference and how some teachers seem almost too timid to really embrace the educational tools allowed by Web 2.0. It got me thinking; could it be that some people really, whether subconsciously or actively, fear Web 2.0 for the simple reason that it will make them obsolete? I do not think teachers, or any type of educators, have anything to worry about as computers can never replace human contact/intelligence (unless you're considering AI, and I don't think we're quite there...yet.) Regardless, the link between the article and the blog post was interesting as they both hinted at the ultimate purpose of all these talks and conferences; finding a way to engage the student in a manner hitherto unknown. The ultimate goal of education is imparting knowledge and any way in which that goal is more easily achieved is indeed an advancement in the field.
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Colin: You raise some relevant issues here. And it's interesting how you talk about what seems to be keeping teachers from embracing/using web 2.0 technology. However, it takes a while for people to get used to new things and adapt to the different challenges and opportunities it provides. When I was in school (too many years ago), students did not have at their disposal all that you do now. That is both good and bad - think of how much "garbage" is out there that you need to learn how to navigate through. For example, I learned how to find information, a skill that is much simpler now. While you don't need to spend too much time on finding it, it is more important that you learn how to distinguish a reliable source from an unreliable one.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to understand that just because a teacher has a computer in his/her room, it does not mean that good educational practice is not needed. Using computers and technology improperly (or just for the sake of using them) does little. If you keep reading Patrick Higgins you'll see he's a great voice for embedding technology into a relevant, sound curriculum that stresses vital 21st skills such as writing, communicating, collaboration, problem-solving, etc...
Good job and keep working.
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