"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow"
(Dewey, 1944)
Since John Dewey wrote the above quote in 'Democracy and Education' 70 years ago, the rate at which rate at which technology advances has increased exponentially. Technology has changed the world of work and play and education in the 21st century applies a 'vast array of digital tools designed to motivate and engage learners' (Peace, 2015).
New ICT tools should not just be seen as innovations designed to develop technical skills, but rather as tools to develop the critical, creative and collaborative skills needed to flourish in a information and communication environment (Henry, 2015). Recent years have seen researchers and educationalists seeking to create a deeper and more critical perspective of the use of ICT, including its role in 'aquisition of the appropriate knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to the labour market' (Raboca, 2014).
New ICT tools should not just be seen as innovations designed to develop technical skills, but rather as tools to develop the critical, creative and collaborative skills needed to flourish in a information and communication environment (Henry, 2015). Recent years have seen researchers and educationalists seeking to create a deeper and more critical perspective of the use of ICT, including its role in 'aquisition of the appropriate knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to the labour market' (Raboca, 2014).
The Es
The efficacy of one such tool, Web 2.0,was the subject of reseacrh conducted by Mandy Peace in 2010 alongside student teachers at the University of Wales- Swansea in South Wales. Web 2.0 is a term given second-generation web-based services, which the research found beneficial in a number of areas that were termed 'Es of Web 2.0' (Peace, 2015):
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| Chapter 16 of this book discusses the Es |
The efficacy of one such tool, Web 2.0,was the subject of reseacrh conducted by Mandy Peace in 2010 alongside student teachers at the University of Wales- Swansea in South Wales. Web 2.0 is a term given second-generation web-based services, which the research found beneficial in a number of areas that were termed 'Es of Web 2.0' (Peace, 2015):
Enjoyable and exciting- Pupils enjoy being able to show of their work to others and, through Web 2.0, they can share their efforts with a wide audience. It can be fun to discover new ways of presenting information so that it is clear and interesting for all to read.
Energises Learning- When pupils work together on an IT task there is often a buzz to their work. They exchange ideas, challenge one another's understanding and generally learn from each other, as well as from sources on the computer.
Emancipatory- Working on Web 2.0 tasks provides pupils with opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning. Using the computer they can search out information not normally available to them in the classroom.
Developing Critical, Creative and Collaborative Skills
Having a IT rich environment can also be viewed as important in fostering critical, creative and collaborative skills and Buckingham (2003) points out that critical and creative activities are closely related. Buckingham speaks towards creating an understanding in children of the digital world we live in through developing understanding of four concepts- production, language, representation and audience.
Supporting a variety of learners
It is now widely understood that within any given learning environment there will a variety of different learning styles and different ways of assimilating knowledge. Having an IT rich environment with a wide variety of ITC tools available is just one way of meeting those needs. Although in the past new technological advances have been expensive, and sometimes still are, there are also now many cheap and free apps which can be used in the learning environment. Follow this link to check out some of the best free educational apps:
http://www.edudemic.com/free-education-apps-sorted-by-grade-level/
Increased student satisfaction
Studies in higher education have also found that use of ITC in the form of open source learning platforms such as moodle can greatly increase student satisfaction. Havice (2010) found that where students were able to playback and pause rich media presentations there was greater reinforcement of course content and better student engagement in the course.
Some Criticisms
Although the advantages of using ITC are much more obvious than the disadvantages, there are certain pitfalls to watch out for to maintain a good use of ITC tools.
As Peace (2005) points out, 'it is important not to get mesmerised by the technology, as this would lead the way to technology being the important aspect rather than learning through the technology'. This was also something discussed by Dewey in 'Experience and Education' (1938) where he notes that 'an enjoyable experience can lead to no particular learning or, worse, actually have negative outcomes and be a miseducative experience (p26). Ansbacher points out that criticisms along these lines have been directed from time to time at museums and science centers (1998). While exhibits with heavy reliance on ICT may be fun, and deliver the information relatively painlessly to the learner, they may have a negative effect since the learners hasn't had to acquire the knowledge, or may just have become solely focused on having fun.
Naturally when working with web based services there is always concerns about web safety, although this also offers an opportunity for learning, as Byron (2010) points out, that children should learn about web safety, the same as they learn about general real world safety. Peace (2015) agrees, suggesting that 'developing respectful relationships is an important part of primary schooling' and that the subjects can be brought together 'using an online discussion of the word respect'.
Given the knowledge that the teacher plays an important role in the facilitation of positive learning experiences, it is no surprise that research has revealed that lack of teacher training and experience in using ITC in the classroom can lead to a negative impact for the learners (Raboca, 2014). Mishra and Koehler posit that in order for a teacher to effectively integrate technology into their teaching they must develop three types of knowledge, Content Knowledge, Technical knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge (TPACK) (2006).
Supporting a variety of learners
It is now widely understood that within any given learning environment there will a variety of different learning styles and different ways of assimilating knowledge. Having an IT rich environment with a wide variety of ITC tools available is just one way of meeting those needs. Although in the past new technological advances have been expensive, and sometimes still are, there are also now many cheap and free apps which can be used in the learning environment. Follow this link to check out some of the best free educational apps:
http://www.edudemic.com/free-education-apps-sorted-by-grade-level/
Increased student satisfaction
Studies in higher education have also found that use of ITC in the form of open source learning platforms such as moodle can greatly increase student satisfaction. Havice (2010) found that where students were able to playback and pause rich media presentations there was greater reinforcement of course content and better student engagement in the course.
Some Criticisms
Although the advantages of using ITC are much more obvious than the disadvantages, there are certain pitfalls to watch out for to maintain a good use of ITC tools.
As Peace (2005) points out, 'it is important not to get mesmerised by the technology, as this would lead the way to technology being the important aspect rather than learning through the technology'. This was also something discussed by Dewey in 'Experience and Education' (1938) where he notes that 'an enjoyable experience can lead to no particular learning or, worse, actually have negative outcomes and be a miseducative experience (p26). Ansbacher points out that criticisms along these lines have been directed from time to time at museums and science centers (1998). While exhibits with heavy reliance on ICT may be fun, and deliver the information relatively painlessly to the learner, they may have a negative effect since the learners hasn't had to acquire the knowledge, or may just have become solely focused on having fun.
Naturally when working with web based services there is always concerns about web safety, although this also offers an opportunity for learning, as Byron (2010) points out, that children should learn about web safety, the same as they learn about general real world safety. Peace (2015) agrees, suggesting that 'developing respectful relationships is an important part of primary schooling' and that the subjects can be brought together 'using an online discussion of the word respect'.
Given the knowledge that the teacher plays an important role in the facilitation of positive learning experiences, it is no surprise that research has revealed that lack of teacher training and experience in using ITC in the classroom can lead to a negative impact for the learners (Raboca, 2014). Mishra and Koehler posit that in order for a teacher to effectively integrate technology into their teaching they must develop three types of knowledge, Content Knowledge, Technical knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge (TPACK) (2006).
- Content knowledge refers to the teacher having the essential academic and subject knowledge required to teach that subject.
- Pedagogical knowledge is of the teaching skills, curriculum knowledge and of thinking and learning skills
- Technological Knowledge would be keeping up to date with which technologies best meet certain learning requirements and certain learners.
So what can teacher do to avoid these barriers to integrating ICT in the classroom. Groff and Mouza (2008) offer this table to highlight some of the obsticles, limitations and challenges to integrating technology in the classrom and also provide a framework for helping teachers to predict obsticles before they begin.
To see an example of the framework you can view the full article:
Groff, J., & Mouza, C. (2008). A framework for addressing challenges to
classroom technology use. AACE Journal, 16(1), 21-46.
Teachers can also make sure they stay up to date by visiting Educational technolgy exhibitions, such as the BETT, held annually at the EXCEL in london. BETT or The Bett Show (formerly known as the British Educational Training and Technology Show) is an annual trade show in the UK that showcases the use of ITC in education. Heres a few higlights from this years exhibition:
To conclude
To come back around to the Dewey quote that this post started with, it seems more important then ever now in a global knowledge based environment,where technology increases and changes quicker than teachers can teach, that education doesn't remain stagnent, and that teachers strive to teach in new and innovative ways. It also seems that through expanding the the sheer volume of information available, through tools like Web 2.0, that children are being encouraged if not forced to think more critically about how they choose and consume knowledge. It could also be suggested then that this aquisition of critical thinking skills and ability to source and assimilate information, learning to learn essentially, is much better suited to meet the expotential growth which sees many of the technologies taught in schools as nearly redundant by the time the pupils reach the workplace.
References
Raboca, H M (2014), ICT in Education- Exploratory Analysis of Students' Perceptions Regarding ICT Impact in the Edcuational Process:
http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=ICT+IN+EDUCATION+-+EXPLORATORY+ANALYSIS+OF+STUDENTS%27+PERCEPTIONS+REGARDING+ICT+IMPACT+IN+THE+EDUCATIONAL+PROCESS&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=IjXJVLXeHo7uaNz1gdAM&ved=0CCAQgQMwAA
Havice, P A (2010), The Impact of Rich Media Presentations on a Distributed Learning Environment: Engagement and Satisfaction of Undergraduate Students:
http://www.readperiodicals.com/201004/2084365771.html
Peace, M (2015), Web 2.0 and classrooms: Younie, et.al, (2015), Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School. London: Routledge
This is a very interesting blog post. In today's learning environments it is essential that children learn the skills that will assist them as they grow. This will help them grow alongside technology as well as in their education. I do worry though that some schools either do not embrace technology as they should or embrace it too much so not creating a balanced learning place. But I do agree with you that teaching professionals should continue to develop themselves as to help the learner as to develop skills that will be lifelong for the individual.
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