I was somewhat stumped as to how to engage my Methods students after two snow days and the Presidents’ Day Holiday. My worries were short-lived, since I developed a Ning site for my Methods’ students, so that they could continue learning even without the use of college grounds or a classroom. I am not a tech geek, but a practical educator. I know that I need to engage my students beyond the classroom in time and space.
I have several educational videos on the site, but two served my purpose well. One was an interview with Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences and the other was Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November. I asked my students to view both videos and discuss the merging of ideas of these educators. To add another dimension, I also said that they may want to consider Bloom’s Taxonomy in their positions. I sat back and asked, How good am I? (Totally Rhetorical)
After the first few responses I began to question my teaching methods. The early student responses were saying that technology was an encumbrance to education. I had one student argue that cashiers could not make proper change unless the cash register told them how much change to give. The argument was blaming the technology for the cashier’s inability to make change in his or her head without the aid of the register. I did not point out that the cashier probably would not have had that job if the technology was not compensating for what the cashier did not learn in school. We sometimes view the same things, but perceive them differently.
Of course, I was upset with the initial responses. I wanted these students to learn what I know and take it further. Based on the initial responses, that was not going to happen. I felt that I had gone wrong in my presentations of technology as a tool in education. How could these students move education forward, if they fail to understand the technology component as clearly as I do? Yes that is totally arrogant on my part, but it is important to me to have my students be relevant. Technology, to me, makes them relevant educators.
This was a little too much to deal with. After all, the Olympic games were going on. I was upset, but I decided to put it aside to watch and enjoy the Olympics. Of course that did not work out. The initial discussions from my students were turning over in my mind. Why didn’t they get it? I know that I taught that technology is only a tool and not the education.
As I watched the Olympics I was thinking of how I could get a redo on this topic of technology as a tool for educators? That was the very moment that NBC, trying to fill a period of time when nothing was going on, did a piece on the garments created for the skiers to keep them warm and dry, as well as massage the athlete’s muscles. It was technology at its best. From that point forward, I honed in on all of the technological advances that helped the Olympic athletes. Clothing, sleds, skis, gloves, skates and anything else that an athlete needed was being tweaked by technology. Technology was the tool to help the athlete complete the event.
That is when I saw it. If learning was the event and students were the athletes what would they need to get to the end of the event? What technology could we provide to get them to achieve the goal. We did not need suits, gloves, or skis, but tools for collaboration, exploration, and communication. If athletes in the Olympics use tools of technological advancement to succeed at their events, then students in schools may use tools of technological advancement to succeed at learning. Teachers are not replaced by the tools, they become the coaches. Much like today’s athletes who participate in various events in the Olympics, students participate in learning. To succeed in attaining that goal, technology is a tool to get the student there. It enables him or her to get there faster and with richer experience then in the years past.
After I came to this realization and what I considered a great analogy, I went back to the discussion page of my class Ning site. I was happy to see a large number of contributions to the discussion. Many of the new entries exhibited a clear understanding of technology as a tool for learning and not the end result.I may have been to quick in my early assessment. Many students were smart enough to quote not only my words from classes, but also many of the wise words from my Blog posts. They were using technology to pump up the professor’s Ego. After all of my reflection and assessment, I may have accomplished my objective with a number of my students without going over it again and beating their knuckles with a ruler. That was the old school method.
My Island View 
Dear Tom,
What a great metaphor – did you use it in your ning to stimulate your trainees?
I have recently had some similar issues and concerns about introducing teacher trainees to technology and convincing them of its value.
I wonder if this happens because they are trying to assimilate so much at the same time that this seems like an added thing to battle with?
Like many others, I have come to the conclusion that the edtech has to be built into the way you teach the course, so that they can take it as a given that this is how things work, that edtech is a normal part of their teaching and learning.
But the metaphor was great!
There is definitely a correlation between high level athletes and classrooms. One of them is that technology can provide an edge, but it can never replace the hard work that goes into being the best athlete (or student) you can be. I’m a musician, and find lots of inspiration, information and support online, but if I spend all my time online, I can lose the opportunity to practice.
While technology is an important component, few athletes try to understand it. It has to be ready to them to use with as little time spent as possible.
I have to agree with Elaine’s comment about athletes not trying to understand technology. These new technologies are often introduced as something that will make the athletes perform better. They take it and give it a try to see if it works for them. If they don’t see improvement in performance, they may stick with the tried and true.
I think as educators we may be putting a little too much trust in students level of comfort with technology and not enough in concentrating on how a specific use can help their learning. If they see positive results (of course there is the question of how this is measured!) they may be encouraged in many ways. I think the latter comments your students started putting on the Ning were a reflection of this process at work. Thanks for another great post.
“If learning was the event and students were the athletes what would they need to get to the end of the event?”
This is why they (the students and athletes) need good leaders (teachers and coaches), to develop the tools they need, share those tools with them, then watch them perform at a high level.
Interesting insight…as educators we always have to keep in mind how our students are receiving the info we are giving them. Blogging and such (i.e., Ning sites) are great ways to monitor that perception.
Good teachers and leaders make good students. Helping students develop the tools they need to become great educators is the most rewarding experience one could have. I find it hard to believe how many of my fellow students view technology as a negative component in the learning environment. However, I have come to the conclusion that maybe they themselves have not had the proper training with technology;therefore, they are intimidated by it. I know as a student and a soon to be educator that when something is difficult for me to learn I fight harder to conquer and learn the obstacle in my path. All students are not similar in that aspect. If they are face to face with a technology component that they have to learn but simply can’t understand it can be very difficult and disheartening so unfortunately they give up. i feel with the right educators and the will to learn some students might have a different perspective when learning technology. Don’t give up on them professor Whitby, some of us don’t see all the positive that can come out of technology within the classroom just yet. but that doesn’t mean they will never see it! 🙂
Awesome post Tom. Your experience is the experience of many educators when embracing new technologies. I’ve seen many professors/teachers get frustrated when adopting a new technology and essentially give up — depriving the students of “what could have been.”
I commend you on your perseverance and conviction in technology.
My favorite line:
“To succeed in attaining that goal, technology is a tool to get the student there. It enables him or her to get there faster and with richer experience then in the years past.”
That just about sums it up for me.
Hey Professor,
Try not to feel so down about the lack of responses or participation to the NING site. Personally, I think it is a great site and I enjoy reading your blogs and watching the videos, but when I have time. I’m not saying this just to make you happy, I am being honest. I think it’s a great that you are a teacher who has been around for a lot and has completely emerged and taught himself whatever he needs, in order to teach, us, his students, more about the use of techonology in correlation to teaching and education. Please realize, many of us are busy with papers and work schedules. For myself, I don’t check my email every day, because I am on a computer all day at work, and the last thing I do is go on the computer when I get home. Please, just take these things into consideration, before you feel bad about your assignments. I know it’s my responsibility for this class to check my email, and for the past two days, my email wasn’t working 🙂
That is why I am a little delayed. But again, I think you’re a great professor and all of your intentions are incredible!
Wow! That is a very cool way of looking at it. It actually helped a lot to read this. I’m still 50/50 when it comes to my opinions on technology in education. I feel like it has benefits and pitfalls, I don’t regard it as highly as some. This is not simply because I’m not good with technology. There are times when it takes so much time to get things such as the smartboard set up, that it’s taking away from time that could be spent learning. Also, technology has glitches. Things can freeze, or simply not work and if it wasn’t saved the precisely correct way, work can be lost. With written notes and textbooks, things are right where you left them. I know that technology is progressing rapidly every day so I hope that these little errors will soon be history, but for now I feel that these are some of the reasons that my classmates and I may not be so ready to jump on the technology bandwagon.
With that said, this was cool to read. I really liked the idea of teachers becoming the coaches. Analogies like this help people (like me) realize that technology is a very useful tool. That it’s there to help, not to replace.