Monday, September 17, 2007

Teaching with Tech - Does It Work?

I believe technology in the class room is often overstressed as being imperative when in reality it adds minimal educational value to the overall learning process. The article mentioned power points are little more than a regurgitation of internet resources and I completely agree with this statement; I generally have found power points to be almost exact copies of websites plus a few additional random pictures which are often irrelevant to the overarching presentation. I think teachers seem to be over infatuated with technology and its development to the point in which they are no longer teaching applicable curriculum like history, science, math, English, etc. but instead technology. Don’t get me wrong. The ability to use technology is a good skill to acquire, but it isn’t fundamental and should be taught strictly in a technology or computer skills class rather than a history class. Also, I agree with text messaging and communication via internet messaging can be disadvantageous as well. I often find myself subconsciously using abbreviations in formal settings. For example, I used contractions in my last formal paper which resulted in lost points. I do recognize that computers can be an efficient way of communicating with others and recording data in a reasonable accessible way. I also praise the abilities of one touch research; however I think that knowledge retention is lost because it is so accessible and often taken for granite by the inquirer. In short, I agree that technology often undermines education and the assimilating of knowledge.

4 comments:

Lyn Belisle said...

You write so well - thanks for your insights. I especially liked this remark:
The ability to use technology is a good skill to acquire, but it isn’t fundamental and should be taught strictly in a technology or computer skills class rather than a history class.
Thanks, Logan!

Chloe said...

I completely agree. The skills are very beneficial but in the right classroom.

Katie said...

I totally agree, teachers should concentrate more on teaching traditional subjects in the classroom with the exception of an actual computer class.

Joann said...

Although I did not have this same view, I can completely understand your point. I sometimes think that technology can be incorporated in our lives a little too much.