The Networked Student
The video The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler made me think about what teachers will be required to do in the future, and what will the role of teachers be. I do agree that technology is advancing, and we need to teach our students to use tools on the internet in order to better their education. On the other hand, I think we are getting away from traditional teaching too much.
Teaching students how to use search engines to better their knowledge is a great idea. By helping kids learn ways to attain knowledge is what we should be doing as teachers. We will soon play less important roles as teachers because people are forcing to turn everything into a technologically advanced way of teaching. I will include the use of search engines and other uses of the internet in my classroom to better my students.
Although I do like the idea of using the internet to teach my students, I think it is important not to stray to far from the basics of teaching. We can not expect a student how to learn certain things all through the use of the internet. Teachers are important because they teach kids social skills. You can not learn how to have a normal conversation with another human being if you stay on a computer to learn everything. A computer can not teach students the basics so I think we need to keep in mind that we do not need to stray too far away from the way we have been teaching students all along.
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
The video A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN) made me think about The Networked Student video because the girls class was online and done all through the internet. I believe learning this way would be fun for a little while, but I would rather be in a classroom and engaging with my peers. When I am in a classroom, I can ask questions and get feedback from my teachers or other students right away. I feel more comfortable in a classroom learning environment, but that is just my personal opinion.
Even though we are moving away from "traditional teaching", I don't think we're forgetting the important things. Students can still learn social skills even when they are doing a lot of the work on the computer. Students can still work in groups together on projects, and in most cases, students are still sitting in the same classroom as their fellow students, even when they're working with computers. In fact, children learn their social skills by being around other children. A teacher just helps indicate and manage which behaviors and interactions are appropriate for the classroom, in my opinion. And remember that you can work with a computer and still be in a classroom with your peers, just like the days when we attend class for EDM310!
ReplyDeleteI only have a few suggestions to make. First, remember that we are supposed to include at least one picture in every blog post. Second, also remember that we should have working links in each blog post. And third, in the second line, it should read, "and what will be the role of teachers".
Good luck!
" A computer can not teach students the basics..." Don't be so sure. there are a lot of interesting experiments being done, especially in Egypt and Africa, that lead me to think that this is a real possibility. See, for example, "...a Hole in the Wall is a Window to the World." Also see Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education".
ReplyDelete"I think we are getting away from traditional teaching too much." Why do you think this?
If you continue to think like that you will not have a job. Or you need to consider another career. Teaching is changing far faster that even I imagined. Ever right here in Alabama. It is happening right now - in Baldwin County. Baldwin County is now ephasizing the use of challenge based, project-based and problem-based learning strategies at all grade levels. These efforts are similar to the networked student's approach to learning except the approaches vary according to grade.The most advanced school is Gulf Shores Elementary but a new training project called the Digital Renaissance Leadership Academy started Monday (2/25/13) in Baldwin County. All teachers will be trained to be Baldwin County's equivalent of a networked teacher. There are almost 300 in the first year long program of DRLA. In all grades. It will be exciting to watch it happen. So get ready. You will have to be a networked teacher if you want to teach in Baldwin County.