Note: This post is in response to Week 2 Module 2 Blog 1
Teachers can resist change (Zimmerman, 2006) and the introduction of technology into schools could be seen as a major force trying to change to the way we teach. In some ways it is, and, as a result, many technologies have been limited or banned in educational settings throughout history. We're often not allowed to take textbooks into exams, we limit the types of calculators permitted and there are precious few examples of students being allowed free access to the internet for assessments (an example is given in this news story http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8341886.stm ).
Teachers can resist change (Zimmerman, 2006) and the introduction of technology into schools could be seen as a major force trying to change to the way we teach. In some ways it is, and, as a result, many technologies have been limited or banned in educational settings throughout history. We're often not allowed to take textbooks into exams, we limit the types of calculators permitted and there are precious few examples of students being allowed free access to the internet for assessments (an example is given in this news story http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8341886.stm ).
In
fact, research shows that the more popular a technology is with students, the more
likely it is to be banned (Bigum, 2012). This is despite other
research which shows the technologies most likely to be taken up in education
and used for sustained periods are those that are actually used in the world
outside of education (Cox, 2013).
Part of the reason for resisting technology
appears to be in the attempts to justify and validate its use in the classroom
as improving learning outcomes. Cox (2013) and Bigum (2012) both write of the complexity
of IT as a concept and the resulting difficulties in measuring its impact via
research. Alan November (n.d.) proposes that we need a
global change of the education system – to rethink the way that we teach and
learn in order to truly take advantage of technology.
For technology to be integrated into our
education system, the development of changes to what we teach (curriculum), how
we teach (pedagogy), and how we measure (assessment) are needed (Voogt, Knezek, Cox, Knezek, & Brummelhuis, 2013). In my opinion, technology is not a “what if” or a “one day”.
It is already embedded firmly in the lives of our students and we need to
understand its impact and adjust our teaching to work with technology rather
than alongside or against it.
References
Bigum, C. (2012).
Schools and Computers: Tales of a digital romance. In L. Rowan & C. Bigum
(Eds.), Transformative approaches to new
technologies and student diversity in futures oriented classrooms : Future
proofing education. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Netherlands.
Cox, M. J. (2013). Formal to informal learning with IT: research
challenges and issues for e‐learning. Journal
of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(1), 85-105.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2012.00483.x
November, A. (Producer). (n.d.). Myths and opportunities: Technology
in the classroom. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/3930740
Voogt, J., Knezek, G., Cox, M., Knezek, D., & Brummelhuis, A. t.
(2013). Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and
learning? A Call to Action. Journal of
Computer Assisted Learning, 29(1), 4-14.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00453.x
Zimmerman, J. (2006). Why some teachers resist change and what
principals can do about it. NASSP
Bulletin, 90(3), 238-249. doi:10.1177/0192636506291521
Michelle thank you for a thoughtful and well-referenced comment. I will leave you with a thought to ponder if it is not just about the tools what i sthe best way to encourage teachers to integrate ICT into their teaching? Sandra (SC)
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good question Sandra. Like the variety in the tools we can use, I think there are many ways as it really depends on the audience and their own background with technology. One idea would be to encourage more resource sharing and collaboration among teachers generally - I find it amazing that, in a high school setting, what is actually taught often comes down to an individual teacher. It seems from the outside that little group planning is done. If teachers share their successes with each other, everyone can benefit.
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