My initial thoughts about learning technologies
and ICT in education prior to the study of this course were quite basic. My
understanding was that, ‘teachers use technology in the classroom to retrieve
information,’ and, ‘students like using computers, so teachers should use them
as a behavioural management tool.’ In retrospect, the potential of ICT and
learning technologies in the classroom is much more complex than recognised.
The world in which we live thrives on
technology that is constantly being upgraded and customised according to the
needs of its users. These constant changes have brought and will continue to bring an
ever-changing curriculum and manner of teaching and learning.
Groundwater-Smith, Ewing & Le Cornu (2011) write that the purpose of a
learning experience is always changing. Each generation brings or develops, “a
greater access to information” (Groundwater-Smith et al., 2011. p. 126).
Therefore, the role of teachers is reshaping from being those that “know about”
to those that “know how”.
Technologies have the potential to create what
Herrington, Oliver & Reeves (2012) describe as, ‘authentic activities,’ and
what Jonassen (2008, p. 2), describes as ‘meaningful learning’. These are activities
that have relevance to reality, allow interdisciplinary learning and require
students to construct their own knowledge and understanding from a variety of
resources (Herrington et al., 2012). Throughout tutorials and subject readings
it has become apparent to my cohorts and I that an authentic learning experience
is informed by certain key attributes. I have discussed these in 'Post reacting to "Learning Technologies" by Annie Agnew', 'Flexible Learning Tasks', 'iPads for Kindergarteners', and 'Interactive White Boards in a Pedagogically Informed Manner'. They are pedagogy - the creation of a
learning environment; and content – the intellectual integrity of what is being
taught. However, the employ of technology in the classroom setting brings forth
another dimension to the creation of a learning experience, which is why fellow
pre-service teachers and I have been studying our weekly content closely with
TPACK (Koehler & Mishra, 2006). TPACK is the collaboration and aim for
‘Technological, pedagogical, content knowledge.’ In addition to this concept, I
have developed a thorough understanding of how teachers can use
learning-technologies to reshape the 21st century classroom. By
constantly scaling the use of learning technologies in terms of ‘SAMR’
(Puentedura, 2006), I have come to the conclusion that we should not use
technologies to make things merely ‘easier’ and ‘faster’, we should use
technologies to redefine the purpose of our pedagogy and content.
Having said the above, I also need to voice my
concern for the growing dependence and usage of technology by children of all
ages. In week 8 we discussed the issues of duty of care and child protection in
relation to technology, and I can understand why this was a mandatory part of
the course. While the broadening of the learning environment by means of
technology is without a doubt beneficial, it also has its consequences. By
allowing our students to venture into ‘cyber-space’, we need to take extra
caution, extend our duty of care, and educate students about their safety and
the safety of others in this new dimension of the environment (Basset, 2003).
In week 6 our topic of discussion was ‘equity in education,’ which is also a
relevant topic. As the Vision 2020 (2008, p. 1) reading states, ‘education is
central to the future of all Australians to have a successful to the future of
all Australians,’ it is clear that in Australia we have a value in education
and it is essential to the life of a child. Here we are at university, with an
entire subject designed to shape our understanding about dear and fragile
technology. Meanwhile in certain communities in our nation, and certainly many across
the globe, students are grappling with what resources they have, let alone
schools and teachers. I have addressed this issue in relation to indigenous education in my blog titled 'Equity? Or lack of?' These are very relevant issues when studying the use of
learning technologies. Where they are used and the manner in which they are
used should shape your understanding of their practise in a wider context.
My future use of learning technologies will
continue to be informed by the topics within my tertiary study. However, the
discourse of this subject has especially shaped my understanding of learning
technologies in a multifaceted and pedagogical sense. Apart from the insights
that I have written above, my practical teaching block has also accumulated my
professional experience. I have described these in my blog entries 'Observations of classroom ICT use' and 'The Tech-Savvy Classroom Teacher'. It is the experiences and observations of this
practicum that have made relevant the importance of what Watson and Prestridge
(2003) deem as, ‘a networked learning community approach to sustain teacher ICT
professional development.’ As a final statement, technology doesn’t necessarily
mean ‘better’, it is how one uses it that will translate whether the task has
been ‘redefined’ or ‘substituted’. As teachers, we have the responsibility to
deliver k-6, diverse and engaging learning experiences that create meaningful
learning. By ‘redefining’ the learning experience, and doing so in a
pedagogical and content informed manner, we can ensure that we are creating
meaningful learning experiences for our students of the 21st
century.
Reference List:
Basset, G. (2003). A school’s duty of care for students to whom it
gives access to cyberspace. Retrieved 1 June, 2012, from
Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R. & Le Cornu, R. (2011). Teaching:
Challenges and dilemmas. Sydney: Thomson.
Herrington, J., Oliver, R. & Reeves, T. C.
(2003). Patterns of engagement in authentic online learning environments. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19, 59-71. Retrieved June 10, 2012,
From http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/fullText;dn=124158;res=AEIPT.
Jonassen, D. (2008). What is meaningful learning? In D. Jonassen
(Ed.). Meaningful learning with technology (3rd ed.).
New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Koehler, M. & Mishra, P. (2006). Technological pedagogical
content knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. Teacher College
Record 108 (1054-1017). Retrieved April 9, 2012, from UTS E-readings.
Puentedura, R. (2006). Transformation, technology and education.
Retrieved April 11, 2012, http://www.hippasus.com/resources/tte/
Save Our Schools. (2008). A Vision for 2020: Achieve equity in
education. Retrieved 10 May, 2012, from http://valuesineducation.org.au/pdf/sos0804.pdf
Watson, G. & Prestridge, S. (2003). A
networked learning community approach to sustain teacher ICT professional
development. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19, 227-240. Retrieved 11 June, 2012, form http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/fullText;dn=129386;res=AEIPT
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