Well I'm back from my holidays, had a great time and now I've got school to look forward to. Ahem. True to form I've been thinking a lot lately about technology and education, and how different my classes could be if they moved on with the times. Blogs are becoming more widespread, their even cropping up on Casualty.. But as I was saying education and technology. An odd combination for a lot of teachers, or at least rather limited.
I find my school to be quite lucky in the technology department, every class has a whiteboard and every teacher has a laptop. Yet, they are rarely used for anything more than Power Point presentations and EasyTeach files that are so outdated the software struggles to run properly. With new programs like Skitch and Scratch wouldn't it be great if pupils were allowed to make their own learning shows? I think it would, as a pupil I know it takes fun things to motivate me into learning. The availability of new programs is immense out there, why should we have to stick to whats tried and tested? Are we really that un-daring?
The answer is probably yes. And really, in a way, there's nothing wrong with that. Like Eddie Izzard's TechnoFear and TechnoJoy, I know some teachers aren't quite comfortable with using computers and would rather stick with tried and tested ways of teaching. Added with the continual bad press the Internet gets, there does seem very slightly chance of progress.
Take my grandparents for instance. I asked them this afternoon what they thought Bebo, MySpace, FaceBook and MSN were from what they'd heard about them. Their responses were slightly typical of what most "older" people think of the Internet, the usual fears of kids safety etc. Sadly, all this negativity, which I guess is common place, prevents the great opertunities the internet has created being taken in full value.
This in itself isn't suited well to pupils in schools today. We've been brought up on computers and therefore skip and in a way underestimate the hidden dangers present on the web. We dont have this everpresent fears of people not being who they say they are, downloading, broadcasting our opinions for all to see, or even clicking on random buttons in the hope it sorts your problem out. (Speaking from a bad personal experience where I'm sure there was smoke coming from the back of my tower...) But we are aware of them and have a knowledge of the way the net works. Its not like 40-odd years ago where hardly anyone had access to computers, everyone now has at least 2 in their home. So surely these skills should be amplified and further built on in schools?
I should hope so.
Sunday 21 October 2007
Techno-Joy or Techno-Fear?
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9 comments:
my comment got cut off from before, sorry...
I think that using programs like Skitch and Scratch would be brilliant at schools. Also I think that using more SMARTboard games to help learn would be good, but I do see that there is a huge risk of these mega-costing boards can be broken easily (an incident has happened before where one was vandalised, and cost a bomb to get fixed). I think that some schools hold back becasue they are not sure about their pupils maturity when they use these programs.
I myself am a pupil, and I do think that the use of Internet should be more broadly used. For instance, my English teacher has given each pupil in our class a blog to use, kind of like an online jotter. This, I think is a brilliant idea, as it gets the less fortunate pupils used to working online ( which, lets face it, they will most likely need in their career) and it means that the online community can discuss the pupil's ideas, helping them out with ideas for an essay, for example. I think that more teaching like this would be good.
And now I have basically written a book to you, sorry!!!
Mikey.
P.S. - you're comment thing confuses me.. my blog is at www.blogs.perthacademy.net/michaelc07
Hey Mikey,
I’m am exactly the same in reference to technology and education. In my first year at secondary school the classes were just beginning to use Smart-Boards and now, 4 years later, they’ve progressed to such an extent that teaching would be rather difficult without them. Educational gaming is a great idea! If kids view certain topics as boring, why not disguise them in games? That’s how I learnt my periodic table anyway..
Another thing I love about blogging in schools is the extent of anonymity that comes with working online. I know I find it easier to share my views and ideas this way, whereas in class I’d be the last person to volunteer an answer. It minimises peer pressures and varying ability levels in a way I guess. Yeh you’re so right, we all need these skills for later in life anyway, so why not use them in school where we learn everything else?
Teachers like Mr W and Mrs O’Neill are priceless in our schools. I just wish more would take the same open minded view to try things new!
Seems I’ve written you a book in response, so I’d call it even. =]
-Jemma
PS: I deleted your original comment and -I think- the code typing thing of my comments is now off.
Not even sure if it was ever there come to think of it.. I seem to have confuzzled everything but hey ho! :)
Yeah, I think that having more gaming to help learning would be good, as many people ( not mentioning any names..*ahem* neds *ahem*) hear a teacher say Pythagoras's theorum (sp?) or Shakespeare and switch off automatically! I used to anyway! :D
A problem that both teachers and pupils face though, is 'Content Keeper'! I don't know about at your school, but at Perth Academy Content Keeper blocks basically anything that moves, restricting our access to things that could help us in our learning! I think that explicit sites should be identified and blocke, but sites that happen to have explicit links on them should just have the links blocked, not the whole page!!
I agree, the anonymity that comes with blogging is great, it really helps the shy to 'come out of their shells' as it were. I, personally, have no heitation with putting my hand up to give (an often wrong) answer or question, but I see that blogging online is a great help to those who are more shy.
Yeah, they really are! I also have a Spanish teacher who is beginning to post blogs, homework, and even sound files of our work from class for us to revise, which is really useful! I think that teachers are beginning to use technology more, but I think that some teachers are still holding back becasue of the curriculum!
-Mikeyy
PS - I think it is just me that finds this comment thing hard to use, so, if you don't mind, I will just sign my name, and stick to the anonymous button:D lol (:
Speaking as someone who had, and still has to an extent, a rather short attention span I know I need things that interest me to keep me on task. Especially during things I find boring. So games would be brilliant for this.
I detest the schools “parental control” thing over the internet. I often came across sites whilst researching a topic in school that was blocked because it was classed as “fun and politically insightful” when all it was was a quiz you could take to see which prime minister you were most like. (Don’t ask, modern studies…) Surely they cant expect us to learn anything with these kind of blocks in place.
I know that Mrs O’Neill probably would have struggled trying to tell fellow teachers about blogging because Blogger and Word Press etc are all blocked by the system. So long as the blog was appropriate I’m sure they could allow for a few to be available. None of my teachers at the moment have anything like blogs, most probably because they cant access them in school or they don’t know what it so or why its educational. This sucks.
I’m one of those shy people who would rather sit in a class and liten to all that goes on around her than actually contribute, yet now as you can see I don’t have a problem with speaking my mind. Or rather, typing my mind. Which is why I do like to blog. =]
-Jemma
(PS: Yeh thats fine! If not you can use the other button and whatever but I think this is the safest way! =])
I can totally relate to that :D And I think that using the SMARTboard in Maths especially is good, as it does make me sit up and pay attention, rather than drifting off into an algebraic induced snooze!
Yes, it is ratehr stupid I think! I have been trying to research the restrictions on peaceful protests recently for a debate at school, and all I have come up with is 'Blocked becasue of content', or 'gaming' !
Yes, our blogging site is set up through the school, hence the '.perthacademy.net' bitty in my URL! My hole class has these blogs, which is great because if I am really, really stuck for an essay or such likes, I can just have a small nosey onto their blogs, to see what they have done, and that helps me to think up ideas!
I will hold my hands up high and say that no, no I am not one of those people who would just sit quietly! It is almost impossible for me! But I do see how it is useful for the more shy.
Another thing about my school, I don't know about yours, but we have to have 'pupil planners' with us at all times! This is silly. We have it to record homewrok etc.. but why not just use mobile phones! Being serious, who is actually going to look at their planner more than at their phone? We could just set it into our calender/alerts, and be done with it!!
-Mikey
( It does seem the best idea, as I really do not get the other ways :D)
We’ve got to carry around our Work Planners all the time too, supposed to use them “everyday, every period” but I’m able to count on one hand the amount of times I’ve used mine. I just don’t see the point as I’d write it in my planner, as supposed to, and never think of checking it later in the night and the homework would be forgotten. S’far easier to note it on my hand, I’m not likely to miss that! The mobile phone idea is a good one though, at least then they wouldn’t be seen as useless in education!
Totally, Algebra is coma-educing sometimes. Much better when its represented as little animations of X and Y doing their differentiation dance. What I’ve noticed though, is that the further up the school years you get, the less teachers seem to use their whiteboards. Back in 2nd year I remember using them every period in maths, with games and things. But now its like, our teacher takes the register and its done with. I say bring back the good old games, you’re never too old for mindless animations and icons!
Recently situations have happened -see my newest blog post- where I wish we had a decent school site like yours. It’d be uber beneficial IMO. However, I’d have to declare war on the librarian and his internet blocks first of all! =D
-Jemma
(Rock onnnn, its all the same anyhow)
Yeah, I agree! I do sometimes just use my hand, but then I get a row with the mother because 'the ink goes into my bloodstream!'.. so I think the mobile phones idea is better! I do often use that method, but, I have to use it out of class, or the phone will be stolen by a teacher!! Oo-err!
Yeah! The algebra would totally stick in my head easier than the other ways of teaching it!
It is really useful!!
-Mikey
Hah, Post It Notes are my vice. I had to change my school bag over the other day and like, hundreds fell out of every pocket. Most of which had, "Do not forget.." followed by elaborate plans which I'd most probably forgotten to do. Phone reminders would be sooo easier!
And friendlier on the environment. ;)
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