Thursdays discussion centered around the philosopher Martin Heidegger, and his book The Question Concerning Technology. The book was a very difficult read. The discussion in class, and the presentations were very helpful to my understanding of Heidegger's message. To me, Heidegger viewed technology in a very broad sense. We have prospered because of technology and it is up us to care for the world. Dennis gave us a quote from Heidegger that put it all into perspective with me. Heidegger argues that we are on a destructive course as we are "thinking of nature as a giant gasoline station." For this Heidegger was an environmentalist who was years ahead of his time. I will highlight some quotes from the book attempt to link them to my life in the classroom.
"The essence of technology is by no means anything technological." I think this statement applies more and more each day. The hand held technologies of today are so prevalent that the idea of technology is lost as convenience and entertainment prevails. I don't see this as a bad thing, just progress. Technology is also present in our classrooms and it has changed the way we teach. The role that technology should play in the classroom is minor compared to the thought and consideration of a well constructed lesson. For example, in my math class I use transformational plotting software to allow students to investigate the equation of a straight line. As they manipulate the slope and y-intercept they can see changes in the graph. Students are learning about a straight line, as students have done for many years. Although technology makes my lesson possible, my students are not learning about technology, they are using technology to investigate straight lines.
"The will to master becomes all the more urgent the more technology threatens to slip from human control." Although Heidegger probably meant something different here, I think of teachers desperately learning technology to keep up with the kids. Technology is a process and just because students can text with a phone in their pocket, doesn't mean that they are the tech experts in the classroom. During my brief stint of teaching computer science I quickly realized that good internet surfing skills does not necessary translate into good programming skills. As I mentioned in a blog a few days ago, as professionals careful planning and reflection is what teachers should focus on, and trying to stay on top of all the latest trends is not a good use of your time (or your school's money).
"But where danger is, grows The saving power also." Although technology can be a distraction it can also help students succeed. It is up to us to design lessons that captivate the imagination of our students. Learning for the sake of learning is a great sediment for middle aged masters students! But for young teenagers they need to be wowed from time to time. Teenagers get bored easily in the classroom, and it is your job to keep them entertained, because entertained kids learn better than kids that are asleep!
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Paul,
ReplyDelete"Thinking of nature as a gasoline station" is so telling. That is what we do. Everything has to be standing-reserve. That is how we should use technology in the classroom, to be brought into, as you say, well constructed lessons, when we need/want it. But as you also say, it need not be bleeding edge technology (not staying on top of all trends). Have you yet figured out how to make Twitter work in math class? I have never used it, anywhere. For my math classes, I'm still trying to figure out ways to make Geometer's Sketchpad be a better servant! Engaging kids, as you suggest by entertainment, is the key. The wow factor works.
I really like the line about just because kids can text with a cell phone in their pocket does not mean they are the tech experts. We hear lots about the so called Digital Natives, yes young people are comfortable with tech and use cells, facebook and so on, but many still do not use the internet - or other types of tech effeciently or wisely. Your example using tech in math is the way to do it, in my humble opinion, good explanation! Staying up on all the new stuff is hard - that is where a community of learners can come in, to point out a useful idea that you can use - or not use, based on professional judgment.
ReplyDeleteYour last sentiment seems to be what we have to do (even in teacher education!), but maybe engagement might be a better word than entertain? ... maybe not?