Monday, April 20, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
Negatives of technology in the classroom
The short article below, passed on by my father, questions whether technology for children beneficial. It state that technology is in fact detrimental to learning when unlimited and unsupervised - acting more as a distraction than a motivation.
I tend to agree in most cases, but also find exceptions. The study was based around exposing underprivileged kids to laptops and internet access. Similar results happen in a classroom if there is no skill building, no exposure to more constructive use, or no motivation to complete a task or project. However, students who are continually exposed to utilising technology effectively for their learning have potential to use multiple devices independently.
I would also tend to question the need for teachers to be 'highly trained' in specific applications. I've found that a gradual approach to various applications is more beneficial 1. you students learn with you, 2. applications are so transient and diverse that you need to regularly learn new ones and you only persevere with tried and tested for your particular students, 3. I'm sure there's a third reason.
Questions
1. Are there devices that can be used effectively across all year groups and demographics?
2. Are their certain IPad Apps, websites or programmes that also work across year groups and demographics?
3. What motivations (intrinsic and/or extrinsic) enable students to work independently?
Link to article
http://www.nytimes.com/
...only when such teachers [gifted/highly trained] are effectively trained to apply a specific application to teaching a particular topic to a particular set of students — only then does classroom technology really work.
I tend to agree in most cases, but also find exceptions. The study was based around exposing underprivileged kids to laptops and internet access. Similar results happen in a classroom if there is no skill building, no exposure to more constructive use, or no motivation to complete a task or project. However, students who are continually exposed to utilising technology effectively for their learning have potential to use multiple devices independently.
I would also tend to question the need for teachers to be 'highly trained' in specific applications. I've found that a gradual approach to various applications is more beneficial 1. you students learn with you, 2. applications are so transient and diverse that you need to regularly learn new ones and you only persevere with tried and tested for your particular students, 3. I'm sure there's a third reason.
Questions
1. Are there devices that can be used effectively across all year groups and demographics?
2. Are their certain IPad Apps, websites or programmes that also work across year groups and demographics?
3. What motivations (intrinsic and/or extrinsic) enable students to work independently?
Link to article
http://www.nytimes.com/
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