Ya ha! I think it's going to work this time:) Unfortunately I haven't found anybody else's thoughts on this article so you get my reactions rather than my answer to your thoughts. I hope that is okay!
It seems Castell, Bryson and Jenson cover two main issues within their article: Miracle Workers and "Educational Technology" that isn't very educational. They touch on the example of the gender experiment (we read this article to prepare for the last in-class presentation), to support their thoughts and show how they have interacted with these ideas in their own life. I agree there is a huge (intimidating) push for teachers to incorporate technology into their classrooms and lessons. There is also an expectation that teachers should be technology savvy or at least have access to someone who will help them through any glitches or problems they might have. The "Tech Support" provided to schools is NOT necessarily "the someone" who will be able to help! I have heard complaints from many different schools regarding the incompetency of their support people. Often when they describe how school networks have been set up, my husband and his co-workers groan and feel deeply sorry for the students and teachers who COULD have more useful tools at their fingertips but don't due to someone's pride or lack of knowledge. This is almost as bad as the situations described in the article where "techology" has been brought in to be a miracle tool but is not properly supported, maintenanced or taught.
I have to agree that much of the educational software is not very useful except to provide a different environment for drill or experimenting IF the teacher can get the students to buy in. Often students are capable of much more than the software or course asks of them, but students are limited by their teacher's knowledge and fears. I took a "Business Information Mangagement" course when I was in grade 12, and was quite board to tears. I finished assignments WAY before everyone else, cause I could efficiently read the textbook and follow directions. I didn't learn anything from the course, but I was the top student and got a plaque for it at the end of the year. (Perhaps that was only because I made up an electronic field-trip form for one of the other teachers?) I haven't taken any online courses, math and music don't lend well to no teacher. But I HAVE taken a course that had a component of technology requirment. For my Music Theory 225 and 226 labs, we were expected to spend an alloted amount of time working with a program outside of class. The program acted as a classmate (who wouldn't have always been availiable) and an accountability system. With this program we were able to test and teach our ear training skills by listening to the computer play intervals and chords and then correctly naming or drawing the musical representation of what we had heard. I was not very thrilled when I compared my speaker sound to a real piano and wondered if I could have made more progress by spending my time with a real instrument. However the teacher was able to monitor the whole class' weekly progress, struggles and time investments as the program recorded our time, mistakes and achievements (there were levels to aspire to). Through this he was able to better direct his teaching to visible needs rather than plowing on according to the occasional test result. It worked because we were university students desiring to learn the material and understanding the need to train our ear. This software would probably not work in a highschool situation as most music students could care less and aren't planning to pursue music as a life-long study. (Teachers hope they will play and appreciate for life, but even that is only a hope.) All this said, I am not sure how one could set up a software that would be anything more than a theory tutor or holder of flashcards. A forum might be helpful if students were curious about their instruments and training. But when a teacher is struggling to convince kids to bring a pencil to music class, they probably aren't going to be spending time on-line extending their musical knowledge. This was evident in my last practicum where the teacher would post the music students were playing so that they could hear it and learn it quicker. However fewer than 10% ever went to the music department website to even look at this valuable tool.
If technology is going to be allowed/expected to shape and be central to education methods, environments and actions there will have to be a complete change in the traditional music program (if it continues to exist), student's motivations, and teacher expectations.
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3 comments:
You make some good points. If we are able to introduce technology that is 'unprecedented innovation and intellectual change" the it seems difficult to believe that a teacher can implement this on their own - unless they are a superstar. Any kind of major shift, will have to come down from senior school administrators and money to support implementation. On the other hand, I agree with the author that there is a real threat to implementation of educational software because the schools will be seen as 'going digital' but will only selling a commodity to replace an existing commodity which does the same thing.
I found the idea of using digital technology for Cultural Jamming intriguing, as the author states digital tools could be used 'not for the replication and reproduction of "(of existing material) "but for the creation, for authentic, that is agentive production, for hacking into the codes of conventional schooling, introducing viruses into its well-ordered set of assumptions and structures"
I think this is a critical point, the school system is so entrenched in its way of doing things and there are so many stakeholders who are invested in the status quo" that use digital technology and communication for "unprecedented innovation" is going to be extremely difficult. Can anyone think of examples on how digital tools, including the ones we have used in class could be used to challenge the established way of doing things to create new opportunities for learning?
I don't think prescribing any one technology is likely to be greatly liberating. But what I do think is liberating is when a teacher is technology-literate, and capable of using a number of different tools well and for appropriate purposes. Paper, colored markers, overhead projectors, VCRs, digital projectors, online course management software, forums, email, video, databases... all of these things are empowering as a potential tool in one's toolkit. It is having and knowing how to use the tools in your tool kit that is helpful for teachers.
Similarly, students could be encouraged to develop their own toolkit. In fact, they already are, especially students with special needs who are being trained to advocate for themselves, and make their teachers understand what they need to be successful.
As another example, any one educational website is of limited value to a student. But if a student has the ability to find different educational websites that suit various needs, and is able to use them effectively, that is empowering.
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