"Educators must realize that using technology to support what they are already doing is not a productive course of action when compared to using technology to transform to an attainment based method" (Reigeluth & Joseph).
I really don't know what think about this quote from the text, I agree with parts but looking at the big picture of it I don't know how attainable it truly is. First, the conversation of switching to an attainment based paradigm is right along with my thinking. I agree that some parts of education have become archaic and need to be refined. i also agree that students learn and all speeds and levels and we need to teach to that, and that we need to make sure that students are prepared for the 21st century and we should be preparing them in things that they feel they have a future in. Personally, in secondary education I don't know if we are completely ready for a complete transformation of using technology to get to our "attainment based method." I think that it has been a successful transformation at the higher education level, this grad program being an example of a success. However, at the secondary level with the uncertainty of funding and and schools having to cut teachers I don't know if we are ready to go full steam ahead until there is some stability. For example, at my school we got the Plato online program in order to give students more depth and options for their learning. We however have had trouble affording this, and having schedule where we can have an instructor there to assist. It is my belief that in the near future we will be ready for a full transformation, but as of right now we are stuck in the pattern of using technology as a support item in the classroom. With that said, there are many great ways and programs that teachers can use to intergrate technology into the classroom; these things should and I hope are being in use in all classrooms to better our students.
In the article Of Luddites, Learning, and Life by Neil Postman, I commend his ideas and the way he lives his life, but I don't think is right for me or education. Unfortunately the world is going to continue to put out and create new technologies if we don't keep out students abreast of these we are doing them a disservice. The world is not going to stop for our students so we cannot stop for them, we need to keep teaching them and providing them with new technologies.
Sources:
Reigeluth, C.M. & Joseph, R. (2002). Beyond technology integration: The case for technology transformation.Educational Technology, 42(4), 9-13.
Witholding technological advancements from our students would be a disservice, indeed.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think it would take for secondary education to be "ready" for a complete technology transformation? I think if stability is the answer, we will be waiting for a LONG time. It made me think of several conversations when my husband and I would talk about waiting to have kids until we were ready... we're still not ready, but here we are!