For the past few months, I have been exposed to many interesting and fascinating technology designed to help me teach my students according to the 21st Century standard. Based on what I know from reading books and watching videos related to technology in education, I cannot understand why any educator would want to teach any other way. I definitely believe the old way of teaching, paper and pencil, is rapidly dying down, as more and more digital natives demand technology-based method of learning. This brings me to CMS. Although information technology has been a part of education for decades, it is only in the recent years that CMS has become a very popular form of teaching and decimating information from teacher to student. Just a few years ago, you had few options of getting a higher education, you either had to go to a conventional classroom or watch video tapes or take home text books and exams. The phenomenon caused by CMS and the likes have made it much more possible for many to attain higher education. For example, this technology have allowed a mother of two, a teacher, and businesswoman living in Texas to attend a great film and technology school in Florida without leaving her home or loved ones. I love the technology and completely support the idea of working smarter and not harder. Why would I want to pack up and move to another state, leave my home, pay out state tuition and attend classes everyday when I can earn the same degree from the comfort of my bedroom.
Although we are moving in the right direction towards technology in education, I feel that we as a country are not moving fast enough in this direction when compared to other industrialized nations such as China. As the video below shows, we need to teach our children, the future of tomorrow and of this country, the skills through the method---technology that will make them marketable and allow them to compete in the marketplace of the future. In consideration of the consequences we could face if we continue to teach from our comfort zone or because we are afraid of change of change, I consider myself an advocate of anti-teaching.
I like what you are saying about the need to advance the effective application of technology in the class room and beyond he classroom. I once had a brief meeting with an executive from Phoenix online. He said that one day while he was shaving, he looked at his reflection and said out loud to himself, "It's not the technology, it's the content!" He said it was one of the best reflective moments in his life as an educator. At this point in the program I am somewhat overwhelmed by the quantity of options. I am not certain how to evaluate the quality. I understand the need to teach our students the skills they need to be marketable, my concern is how do we include ethics along he way? Great post! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThomas Penderast