This is our summary of the week’s events & discussions:
Overall, we felt that our presentation on the history of educational technology was successful; our peers were engaged in the discussions and related activities, and we provided clear summaries of the readings as well as a variety of interactivities.
One of our goals was to remind our audience of our past with technology and encourage reflection back to our earliest memories through the historical timeline, the influence of Apple Computers on educational technology culture, and the Children of Telstar. We also tried to glimpse at the future of education and technology through our interactivities, particularly the Old School, New School video quiz as well as the Ted talk video with Johnny Lee’s inexpensive interactive white board alternative.
A number of interesting points were raised in the discussion of McLuhan’s article, ‘The Medium is the Message’. Are the social graces and customs of past generations being wiped clean by the internet? The prolific use of technology for communication, especially texting, emailing, and message boards has caused many individuals to write and say things they may not in a face to face situation. Our ethics cannot keep up with the rapid advances of technology. Simply put, the way in which our technology effects and affects us is the ‘message’. The technology bringing about these changes is the ‘medium’.
Most of our audience stated that the Internet is the most significant technological shift that has affected education. The Internet has provided students with a ‘library at their fingertips’; learning can easily take place beyond classroom walls, and it has been a catalyst for the growth of online courses. Furthermore, the need for students to develop Internet literacy skills has become much more crucial in the age of 21st century learning. Others also mentioned that the implementation of Wi-Fi technology has allowed for more accessible and portable Internet use.
Our colleagues were also asked to comment on their position on the ‘Old School New School’ spectrum after completing a quiz to determine their educational perspective on digital media and technology. Positions on the spectrum ranged from ‘skeptic’ to ‘old school’ or ‘new school’. In a new school setting, the teacher’s role is more of a facilitator where student collaboration is valued. The accompanying video states that teachers “…sometimes have to be entertainers…”This comment generated some discussion; one noted that being entertained does not equate to being engaged, and that the priority should be engagement for students over entertainment. Another noted that the role of teacher as entertainer could be interpreted as learning being fun, enjoyable, and playful.
Perhaps the ideal is to achieve a balance between old school and new school methods. Instead of completely phasing out old school strategies, combining them with new technologies may prove to be effective. For example, combining the use of Twitter along with the Socratic method of questioning may teach students to be succinct in their responses while allowing several people to engage in debate over an issue. However, another person noted that in the wake of new school methods, students may “…lose their ability to persevere and rationalize their way through more difficult and tedious tasks because they are so accustomed to immediate feedback and responses…” The use of technology has ultimately led teachers to find new ways to connect with students and has helped create communities which encourage lifelong learning.
History of Educational Technology 