I find it inspiring to consider John Dewey’s philosophies of
what education should be, and I find it exciting and overwhelming to consider
how we can use new technologies to bring his philosophies to reality.
Essentially, John Dewey argued that education is necessarily a social process
that occurs inevitably and unavoidably starting at birth, and, as a result,
schools and pedagogies should be structured to mimic this natural process.
Mimicry of this process means that students must be directing their own learning;
learning really only occurs when students actively pursue something that piques
their interest. Thus, any sort of passive learning, such as lecturing,
studying, or unengaged reading is dismissed as ultimately ineffective.
Before the days of the Internet, allowing students to
explore the world around them was limited by what is contained within the
classroom. Now, the Internet allows numerous and expansive aspects of the world
to be accessed from within the classroom, and this allows the possibility of
Dewey’s ideal educational system to be realized.
However, envisioning how this system would be realized is
overwhelming and certainly requires creativity. When allowed free access to a
computer (or smart phone or tablet), adolescents typically do not use it to
explore varied topics. Based on my experiences with Scarlett students,
adolescents are interested in using technology to play games, watch YouTube
videos (many times featuring slapstick humor), listen to music, and access
social media. In other words, they use it as either an escape from daily life
(i.e. entertainment) or as a way to connect with their peers. I’d argue these
activities do not provide them with a sufficient education.
So, clearly teachers must provide guidance in order for adolescents
to use technology to create for themselves a meaningful education. But I too
generally use my computer for social media, music, word processing, and
research. I find that my own use of my computer is quite limited; I often find
myself bored even when I have my computer (and therefore the whole world via the
internet) right in my backpack. So clearly I need an education on how to use
the Internet creatively if I am to convey this to my students.
And it seems to me the best types of lessons involve externally
guided personal projects. And on that note I’m excited to start this blog.
Rachel, I really like the balance you suggested. That Dewey emphasized student centered learning, and you noticed at Scarlett that the internet/tech is an integral part of students' lives. But, than you posed that the internet is not the answer to all exploration and learning and reflected on your own life, that you get bored with the internet as do I. I agree with you that technology can be used as a tool for exploration and engagement, but that it does not always have a place in learning and recognizing how/when to use it will be a skill that we need to develop as teachers.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog! It is so crazy to think about how we used to learn from real books and not from computers. I see the pros and cons of both sides, however it scares me how much we rely on technology in order to function in society. Do you think it is still possible to have a good classroom/education without using the latest technology?
Hey Lisa - thanks for the enthusiasm:)
DeleteMy current philosophy/approach to technology in the classroom is as follows: Students (everyone) learns through experiences with the world around them. (I think this is why traveling the world (aka study abroad) is thought to be a good way to gain an education - by visiting a foreign country with foreign cultural norms, you gain a ton of new experiences.) So, back in the day, written text in the form of books was an excellent way to simulate new experiences and therefore speed up rate of education in the face of limited resources that do not allow for extensive travel or exchange with new/varied people. Today, we have computers that can a) simulate things using more than just one sense (i.e. sight), and b) present ideas from (average) people from across the world, rather than just from our own country's greatest thinkers.
As a result, the presence of computers can perhaps do a good job of simulating new and varied experiences that used to only be accessible through travel (which is expensive both monetarily and time-wise).
So - not sure if any of that is intelligible, but what I'm trying to say is yeah - simple conversation based on readings can totally provide a substantial education, but the addition of every new perspective (either via technology/internet or via fellow students who share their own extensive and varied experiences) improves quality of education.
Jay, I am interested in your response to Rachel's post. You mention that if we "fight" technology as teachers then we are further increasing the gap between our technology skills and those of our students. I see where you are coming from, though in my opinion, as teachers, we should be pushing against technology to a certain extent. I believe that classrooms are sacred spaces of collective learning and technology, particularly personal devices, disrupts that. Furthermore, classrooms are one of the only places, if not the only place, in today's society where boundaries may be enforced on the use of technology. In other domains, students have the ability to be using technology much more freely and without as much regard for disruption as in school. It is integral in my opinion for students to learn that there is a time, a place, and a purpose for technology. In some cases, it certainly will be appropriate to take advantage of technology in the classroom, but of course for the purpose of enhancing learning only.
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ReplyDeleteI'll only add to this interesting conversation by mentioning that the field of media literacy is a growing one, as we learn how to help our students (and ourselves) to use computers in more savvy and thoughtful ways. Interesting work in this field is being done--for the benefit of teachers and academics--at the University of Rhode Island's Media Education Lab amongst other places.
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