Deep Thinking, Learning and Technology.....Can we do it all?

A very respected English teacher has posed this question for our next staff meeting, so I thought I would try to get an international perspective: "My thinking, basically, is this: there is a plethora of Web 2.0 material, but as is the case for old-fashioned print material, there are widely varying degrees of challenge and mind-stretch inherent in it. In other words, the technology offers much, but what we do with it remains critical.
Additionally, there are two perspectives I'd like to focus on: uses that can be made of this technology, and thinking skills needed to guard against potential pitfalls."
How can we ensure students aren't wasting time on the 'bells and whistles' of new technology and continue to provide them with challenging tasks?

Tags: skills, thinking

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Permalink Reply by nlowell on April 13, 2008 at 8:53am

Start by using the tools to aid in your own learning. Then model it. It's not a fast process and many people are coming late to the game.

Remember that YOU are the priority 21st Century Learner. If you don't learn it, you can't teach it.

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Permalink Reply by Edwin Wargo on April 13, 2008 at 10:09am

Hi Britt,

Great question!

As Sylvia and Nancy point out in the Have We Gone too far too fast? conversation, I think it's about the teaching and learning behind the technology. I know it's always easier said than done but the more I read, talk, and think about web 2.0, the more this sentiment has become part of my belief system.

If a bell and whistle enhances student learning, I'm not sure if they are always inherently a bad thing. Interestingly, a central theme that seems to be in the 21st century frameworks is imagination and creativity. The bells and whistles just may a platform for that. I guess what we may think of as a bell and whistle may be just what a student needs to spark learning.

Ultimately, I think it's a fine line since getting mired too much in peripheral things may completely obscure the goal. But I think much of “the line” is how we're teaching and how we approach student learning.

At a very practical level, I'll give students some free time to "kick the tires" when introducing a new tool to explore it and see some of the bells and whistles. I know personally I'll do this when looking at a new tool. I find this allows students to understand the tool when it's time for learning and keeps some of the focus when it's time to start.

I hope that helps.

Edwin

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on April 13, 2008 at 2:43pm

You question reminds me of a comment I heard in reference to the question "How do you prevent student plagarism?" The response-- "Give them assignments they can't plagarize." If you give them assignments that are real, rich and relevant they will use real, rich and relevant tools to get the job done.