There are a lot of great uses for technology in learning but these videos seem to suggest that traditional learning without ipods, laptops or whatnot isn't of value to the "digital natives" as they've been dubbed. Something about this bothers me, not because I'm a Luddite but because I suspect that technology is another false panacea. Nothing in these videos convinced me that more technology would result in higher test scores or greater earnings potential down the line. In fact the videos missed the best use most students make of technology, that is - Self Expression. By creating and sharing digital media such as videos, blogs and photos young people have an unprecedented opportunity to be heard and connect with like minded peers which is truly a marvelous thing. Educators must be aware that young people connect to technology primarily for entertainment and social purposes, not to train for "jobs that don't exist yet". Technology by itself is not the solution, nor is the lack of a computer in the classroom the mark of a bad teacher. In order for technology to enhance education in a meaningful way there need to well developed programs with proven results.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, the use of technology is an excellent way for students to show their creative side, and find a modum for self expression through the use of media.
Not to be a prude - again- (as you may notice in my own response to these videos) I worry that sometimes students are posting what they feel is representative of themselves, before they are old enough to know who they really are, and then it is too late. A first impression is out there; good, bad or ugly, never to be erased from the minds of everyone who saw/read. There needs to be some way of putting an age limit (a real working age limit) on sites that allow you to fully express your EVERY darn thought...not that any of us really need to know what anyone is thinking at all times!
:)
Have a wonderful evening!
Siobhan
Thanks for your thoughts Siobhan, you bring up some topical issues that have crossed my mind as well. I agree that young people, with their wet paint identities, often advertise a false self online that goes way beyond picking a flattering photograph. Periodically a young person will suddenly become a subject of intense interest, such as happened with the Tuscon shooter, and the media will spend hours reading into their online identity. News commentators tried to assign political motives to the suspect based on a list of favorite books on his Youtube profile, all within hours of the shooting. Of course most people will never be subject of such intense scrutiny but the odds are good that we will all have somebody trying to figure us out from digital breadcrumbs, be it a blind date or a potential employer.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of an age limit but what age? I remember hearing a line about how everyone should get everything prior to college graduation automatically purged from the internet so they could apply for a job without worrying about their keg party pics turning up. Even identity is a tricky question, I took an adolescent psych course late semester where I learned that in many cases the search for identity continues well into one's late twenties.
I actually disagree, but that will not surprise... I disagreewith an age limit... My son learned tobread from a combination of sources - me reading to him, sesame street, computer programs and on it goes. It is a social interactional process that exceeds a formulaic stimulus response. Learning is complicated. We cannot reduce it to international comparisons or to technology. The message is much deeper than this. And in media productions signs and aymbols
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