what are the implications of educational technology in the curriculum of teacher and student?
Answers must be related for college education students.
Okay – there have been BOOKS written about this subject, but let me give you a few ideas to chew on.
1 – Accees to information is no longer an issue. A student or teacher can find out just about anything they need to know for a project or lesson. In the "old days," you were basically limited to the books that you could touch. Your ability was limited to the collection of your local library. Now there is instant access to a huge amount of information on almost any topic.
2 – Technology needs to support the curriuclum, not vice-versa. Educators need to focus on ways that the technology will enhance the learning goals. The mistake is to make the technology the learning goal. In the 1980’s and 90’s, well-intentioned schools spent countless hours teaching students how to write computer programs, navigate DOS, operate computer terminals, use now-obsolete software, etc.
3 – teachers must realize that there is a wide range of technology in the home. Some students will have full, high-speed Internet access, while others will have nothing. Teachers can’t make the mistake of assigning technology-based homework.
4 – Errors on the web. If not instructed otherwise, students think that everything on the Internet is true and factual. Source credibility, evaluation of web-sites, etc, must be taught. To that end, teachers in elementary and middle schools should pre-screen web sites, and produce their own web-pages with links for the class assignment.
5 – Evaluation methods must change. The "report" on a country, animal, etc. must be based on process, not just product. Students can copy/paste text and images and quickly produce a professional-looking report. They don’t even have to READ it first – just copy/paste/print. Other ways must be developed to demonstrate concept mastery.
Well, there are 5 ideas to get you started!
I believe that technology is mostly an impediment to learning. Computers, television, internet … each of these were supposed to to be the next big breakthrough. But we have seen no real improvements through these technologies. In fact, these technologies simply waste enormous amounts of time. If anything, technologies are a distraction.
I will say that research is easier with the internet. Other than that, I remain unconvinced.
References :
Okay – there have been BOOKS written about this subject, but let me give you a few ideas to chew on.
1 – Accees to information is no longer an issue. A student or teacher can find out just about anything they need to know for a project or lesson. In the "old days," you were basically limited to the books that you could touch. Your ability was limited to the collection of your local library. Now there is instant access to a huge amount of information on almost any topic.
2 – Technology needs to support the curriuclum, not vice-versa. Educators need to focus on ways that the technology will enhance the learning goals. The mistake is to make the technology the learning goal. In the 1980’s and 90’s, well-intentioned schools spent countless hours teaching students how to write computer programs, navigate DOS, operate computer terminals, use now-obsolete software, etc.
3 – Teachers must realize that there is a wide range of technology in the home. Some students will have full, high-speed Internet access, while others will have nothing. Teachers can’t make the mistake of assigning technology-based homework.
4 – Errors on the web. If not instructed otherwise, students think that everything on the Internet is true and factual. Source credibility, evaluation of web-sites, etc, must be taught. To that end, teachers in elementary and middle schools should pre-screen web sites, and produce their own web-pages with links for the class assignment.
5 – Evaluation methods must change. The "report" on a country, animal, etc. must be based on process, not just product. Students can copy/paste text and images and quickly produce a professional-looking report. They don’t even have to READ it first – just copy/paste/print. Other ways must be developed to demonstrate concept mastery.
Well, there are 5 ideas to get you started!
References :
24 years teaching — 20 in educational technology; M.Ed. in instructional technology; published author and columnist on instructional tech topics