"The school system is in need
of overhaul, but as mentioned above, the overhaul is needed because society has
changed, not because learners have iPods" or iPhones or iPads…
I agree with Siemen's critique. Students that are users of technology are not
necessarily the best of learners. A
digital native who is content to use technology for communication and
entertainment is not necessarily keen on using it demonstrate learning! While they would be happy to use their smart
phones to record fun moments, using it record an interview would be a challenge! Again, not all 18 year olds are digital
natives and hence learning of the technology overpowers the actual lesson being
learnt. This makes the whole experience stressful.
What then is the best way to deal
with digital natives? A question that I
ask myself is what is the objective of this learning opportunity for students? Is it to demonstrate the mastery of technology
or present a solution to a real world problem?
Does the learning opportunity have the right mix? Is it skewed either way? If it is then it needs to be fixed. A critical examination of the lesson plan/assessment
and the rubric with a peer helps to refine the objectives of the task and the
evaluation.
A good understanding of abilities of
students is important - are they all at the same level? How can the "expert" students be
used? I have also learnt that setting students
a series of tasks that simulate solution to a real world problem or a having a shadow
case study helps to a great extent. I have also found that it is important to
scaffold skills and allow students to learn incrementally. This makes students more confident in their
skills before they attempt a "real project" .
Does a teacher have to be a digital native? Not necessary, I would say. A good teacher attempting to create an
authentic learning experience reflecting the practices of the real world need
not have mastery of the technology being used.
Personally, I have never been involved in a virtual learning experience
or in creating a wiki, but that should not stop me from having my students use
them. I would focus on creating a
framework for my students to research, learn, create, communicate and reflect
using the latest tools that they have. A
teacher's role is to guide them through the process of learning. In most cases student enjoy demonstrating
what they have learnt without being taught!
Students enjoy "showing off" their knowledge to peers and to
their teacher. This develops a passion
for learning which is critical in adapting to changes and becoming life long learners.
No comments:
Post a Comment