It is
becoming more apparent that with each advancement in technology our relationship
with knowledge changes. With each day we
are learning that there is a new tool or innovation through which we can manipulate
information. As teachers we have to take
into consideration that our students are more often than not plugged in to some
kind of technology. They are constantly engaged
by it. It is up to us to discover how we
are able to use technology for our professional development, and the academic
enrichment of our students. As Vie
attempts to demonstrate the relationship between social networking and
pedagogy, she suggests that as teachers and scholars we do not have to yield to
social networking sites as a pedagogical tool, but acknowledge that student attention is
drawn to social networking sites, and technology as a whole. I am assuming that this is a caveat, in which
she insinuates that as adults we do not have to yield to our students’ new
toys, but as educators we may want to consider technology (and social
networking) as an appropriate educative tool.
Whether
this tool is a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a video, a disk, or a website, providing
access to information is one way in which teachers may broaden a students’
knowledge base. One reason we step away
from social networking sites as an educative tool is because its implicit use
is nonsensical. At this point, Facebook,
MySpace, and other social networking websites have been used to primarily to
connect friends, and share pictures cats – they do not appear to serve an
academic purpose. We have to justify the
use of social networking and social media as a pedagogical tool.
We must change the face of social networking and social media so that they
represent education and demonstrate their value in the field of education. As teachers we should attempt to demonstrate
how social networking and social media can broaden the scope of student and
teacher knowledge. Moreover, we should
reveal that the use of this type of technology can create new dimensions of
academia, and avenues through which learning can occur (i.e., connecting students
to resources or people, used as interactive curricular & instructional tools). We have to
show our parents and administrators that social networking and social media can
help close the achievement gap that exists in our society on a global level by connecting students and teachers so that they can engage one another in an information exchange. It is time to use the resources we have at our disposal for entertainment to level the
academic playing field among students by providing access to information for all.
The issue
of social networking and social media as an educative tool is more a question
of agency than access. Technology can
bring many positive aspects into the classroom, but fear and issues of control are
associated with giving a classroom freewheeling access to information. This type of access leaves room for the
potential danger of exposure to information for which students may not be
ready. Moreover, this type of openness
may expose students to information that has the potential to affect the social construction
of their beliefs/identities, and change their foundational hierarchies of
knowledge, as well as established hierarchies of privilege/oppression in
society.
The post is so well timed. I found myself at a staff meeting last week, trying to not roll my eyes as my principal talked about how much she would like to purchase i-pads for the kids to use. To me it seemed as though this was catering to the student's attraction to shiny new "toys"- style over substance if you will. In the same vein when we shot a video of the kids to be put on you tube, and linked to on Facebook, a professional camera crew was brought in and 3 hours was spent shooting the four minute video- time that could have been spent in class learning.
ReplyDeleteThis is not to say I am against technology, I routinely use power-points, you tube videos, itunes, and skype in the classroom, but only when doing so adds something of educational value and feel the same about social media. While I understand the ways in which technology can be used to close the achievement gap, I feel that unless administrators and teachers correctly learn how to use technology with an academic purpose, it's uses are often redundant, and school's expend too many resources "fixing what ain't broken". In a nutshell: as the technology changes the skills being taught have to change, but the traditional foundation cannot be neglected in favor of what's "cool" online. Doing so may close the achievement gap at the youngest levels, but leave children inadequately prepared for the writing and critical thinking skills they will need to exhibit in their secondary education.
I disagree with the author that the issues are merely of agency and not access. In our society we often take 24/7 technological access for granted. When discussing the theoretical we are often privileged to ignore the constraints of money and time in ways that real teachers are not. The author speaks of connecting students and teachers; taken literally this could mean connecting students who otherwise have no access to education, rural schools, over-crowded districts, and others would now be able to be reached by teachers. In such a situation access is most certainly an issue, there are so many places where the cost of equipment is too great, the internet signal non existent, or the adults too unfamiliar to make connecting through social networking a viable option. Personally I find the fear of access to dangerous information overblown, and easily solved by proper supervision.
There will always be a new technology, but often, though it may be interesting, it's value is no greater than other methods. At some point radio, television, video games etc. were new but have never made more than the occasional appearance in the classroom, as a supplement. Social media should be treated with the same prudence.
Teachers should certainly go outside the box more often, and use as many creative ideas and devices as are at their disposal for reaching the greatest number of students, but as it stands social media, and a lot of the newer technology seem to more often run the risk being classroom distractions and breeding lazy teachers.
I think I address several of your points in the blog post following this one. I will say that while I agree with your position regarding the potential dumbing down of students via what's "cool" online, as educators we cannot deny that medium plays an important role in helping to convey information unto our students. I think the point is that education has to evolve with the audience it is trying to reach. Yes, television, radio, laser discs, and all that jazz may have been used as supplemental tools in the classroom, but the fact is as new technology they were incorporated into academia in some capacity. Something that some teachers are fightning for one reason or another. I cannot suggest that we revamp the entire system to inlcude nothing but technological tools, but there are some who reject even the consideration of technology as a tool in the classroom because they feel it is for entertainment use only, so it must not be able to serve an educative purpose. I think there is a way to use technology to encourage critical thinking among students -- just as there is a way to use television to broaden their scope of knowledge or make an lesson come alive -- I just don't think its use should be accompanied by a worksheet. This is why I say that the advent of technology in the classroom is a case of access and agency. In these types of discussions I think we always know that there are areas where access to "our kind of technoloy" s impossible or nonexistent -- but I also think we have to change the way we think about technology -- we have come to know technology as a computer, cell phone, or tablet -- but the fact is that technology is really a fancy word for a tool that makes a process more entertaining, efficient, or effective -- so even in our most rural areas technology is there in some form, and being used in some capacity. Considering also that schools may be the only place that some students have access to books or other informational tools, I do not think it is fair to use over-crowding or other faults of school districts (or the USDOE) as an excuse for why technology cannot be a staple in our classrooms -- every child does not need his own personal computer (although, I am sure for entertainment purposes he finds his way to one) -- but tools like interactive whiteboards, and digital projectors are also ways in which technology can be used on a larger scale to present information to a class of students. This type of usage exposes students to new resources, and can be used to enhance a traditional lesson. It really is a matter of agency (power) because the way the teacher chooses to utilize these tools to frame a lesson/concept can faciliate critical thinking among students, and equip them with traditional skills at higher levels, as well as other functional literacy skills in a digital age.
ReplyDeleteWhen we consider issues in the field of educaiton it is often from a position of privilege even though our intentions may be to reach even those on the lowest rung -- and one thing I have learned is that awareness and reflective analysis are big parts of social change. In our top-down society it is important that we as teachers make the existence issues of privilege and oppression in education and within society clear to our students so that they may be inspired to change the system. As Ray Bradbury so aptly reported -- these are not responsibilities of the state, but of the people.