Read the article from Will Richardson,
Why Schools Should Break The Web 2.0 Barrier, and note where he says, "...we must stop making this a conversation about technology." Do you agree or disagree? State your reasons why and then respond to at least one other colleague's comments.
A conversation about technology is quite similar to what Web 2.0 has enabled us, as educators, to do. Wikis and blogs ARE conversations via the web, so I disagree that we need to stop having conversations about technology unless they mean verbal conversations. We should, on the other hand, be conversing online as we are today.
ReplyDelete"...we must stop making this a conversation about technology." I agree with that statement because I view Web 2.0 tools as another way for students to achieve information literacy. Information literacy is different from technology literacy in that students are achieving literacy by learning to access, evaluate, organize and use information from a variety of sources.
ReplyDeleteI'm answering this similarly to my sticky note. In order to reach our students effectively, we need to find ways to teach and reach them. Technology and web 2.0 is what is happening now. Educators need to stay on top of technology so that our students don't know more than we do about technology. Something that stood out in the article was the comment, "we need to be learners first and teachers second."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa that we need to stay on top of technology so that our students don't know more than we do. An added bonus of staying on top of it is that hopefully when my two five year old sons start using technology more, I'll be savvy to all of the latest technology!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have a daunting task ahead of us, but one that is vital and unavoidable if we are to grow as effective educators. In regards to the article quote, I think the conversation begins with technology and necessarily encourages us to a paradigm shift about our roles as teachers.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Carleen. Much of what I have learned recently about Web 2.0 has come from my tech- savvy students and my own kids! Several years ago my college kids introduced me to Delicious, where I store my favorite websites and Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this should not be a conversation about technology, but rather a discussion about how to best present content to students. As teachers, we always struggle to find the best way for all of our students to learn and be engaged in each lesson. Various forms of technology include tools that allow us to motivate and differentiate. We can create lessons that allow students to optize their learning and take a lesson farther than we have time to in class.
ReplyDeleteAbout 15 years ago, I sat in a grad class filled with mostly new, elementary school teachers, and was asked "which is the more important quality in a teacher: personality or content knowledge?" To me as a secondary teacher, I automatically jumped to content. The other four secondary people agreed with me, but the class (and instructor) were quite agitated that we did not agree with them.
ReplyDeleteBoth questions- that posed by my instructor and here by Patti- are divisive. Yes, being a teacher means I teach by a variety of means, and that my affect and personality play a role. However, as a secondary teacher, I strongly identify myself as a science teacher. I, and I am sure others, see myself defined by my discipline. And what the article essentially asks us to do is shift identity a bit.
I think the article, while posing this question, essentially asks us to go with technology, while not giving a large connection to make it about CONTENT education. And while yes, we are teachers of students, not content, our product IS content. PSSAs are content. Report cards are content. This article looks at content in a much different way, stating that students will be judged in the future by their content, without addressing what that content should/ could be, or the challenges associated with covering all (current, topical) content for a class in the context of technology.
While technology isn't really the conversation, (the real conversation is about educational content), we are talking about adding content in technology. Which is the same as saying we can't talk about teaching chemistry without conversation about chemistry. If teachers don't know the content, they can't teach it. So talking about technology is teacher education that involves conversation about technology (and content, and a rapidly changing society)
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ReplyDeleteTechnology is to our students what the development of color television was to our parents...it's become a way of life. No one has black and white tv's anymore. None of our students are going to make long distance phone calls...they will "Skype". They will have friends and resources all over the world. They will be able to find things and do things on the internet that I have never dreamed.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a conversation about technology for for the students...it's an issue of technology for the teachers. Not all teachers (or parents) spend as much time behind the computer as our students do. We are not comfortable with the programs, software, or programs. Since we aren't, we are slower to take up this new way of learning and teaching. It takes a lot of time and energy and forces many outside of their comfort zone. Until they are comfortable with the new technology it will be difficult for teachers to incorporate it to the levels that some people expect.
Finally, the use of this technology in the classroom depends heavily on the subject mater being taught. Some subjects lend themselves to using the technology more than others. Just because it is being used heavily by one teacher in one class doesn't make it easy for other teachers to incorporate it their classes.
I agree with Jen...the possibility to incorporate technology strongly depends on the content which is being taught.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jackie. Technology literacy is a pathway to informational literacy- the new road for the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa's identification about being "learners first and teachers second," however, I have resigned to the fact that our students will always know more about technology than I do. The key is the utilization of technology to more effectively and efficiently educate. As the authors indicated, this requires intimate time and trial to efffectively impliment.
ReplyDeleteAre we back to digital natives vs. digital immigrants, Alicia? I agree- it's hard until we are comfortable with the technology. But we do need to remember that not all students are tech savvy. Some face the same frustrations as we do. And while agree that we need to use new ways of doing things- which necessitates the conversation about technology, we also need to remember that kids are responding to the world around them, that while it changes so quickly, we have a vital role to play in their life online.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading Jennifer's comment, I agreed that we are really teaching content and that the conversation is about content. I agree that adding technology as a tool is adding more (yet different) content to your day. This poses its own challenges.
ReplyDeleteI also think that in the future while they will be assessed on the products that they create for their bosses, the higher level thinking skills that will be provided by using the technologies we have discussed will be more inportant. Products will change as technology changes. Content changes by the minute. Our students need the skills to sift through all the information available to them and evaluate it. The more we can help to be able to adapt to whatever technology is in front of them and form their own educated opions, the better.