A Means-To-An-End?

After reading the article by Reigeluth and Joseph and the other by Postman, I find myself somewhat in the middle.  I find that interesting given my experience in a classroom that lacked in technology compared to my current excitement about teaching again in a technology-rich environment.

I think it is all in how technology is used in the classroom and in our schools.  Are we using technology as simply a means-to-an-end?  Or, are we committed to teaching 21^st-century skills and integrating technology at a deeper level?  As Reigeluth and Joseph say, “…perhaps there would be greater leverage if we invest in finding ways that technology can transform the way we teach, ways technology can allow us to teach that weren’t feasible before.” We need to extend our teaching beyond having our students simply type their stories when we visit the computer lab, or completing an AR test on the classroom PC.  We need to study the capabilities of the technology available to us and work toward a more “learning-focused paradigm of education” that can be supported by technology.  We can’t simply hand a teacher a tablet, or assign them the task of creating a classroom blog, without helping them see the bigger picture and look into ways these tools can truly help them improve in meeting their student’s needs. 

I thought Postman’s point in raising the question “what is the problem to which _____ is the answer?” was a great one.  I never thought about approaching classroom technology in that way before.  I know of a teacher who was very excited to incorporate the use of i-clickers in her classroom and wrote a grant asking for a class set.  She was awarded the grant and the items were purchased.  Unfortunately, she has yet to put the clickers to much use in her classroom.  There may be many reasons for this, but I would venture to guess that she didn’t think at length about the problem to which the clickers were the answer.  We should not get caught up in all the rage surrounding technology, but look more closely at how our teaching and how our students can/will benefit.

I do think that technology has a very important place in education today.  I wish all classrooms were equipped with the best on the market and were able to stay up with the current trends.  As a teacher myself, I am willing to learn and see where I can benefit from technology-use which is why I am in this class.  I hope, however, that I can keep a balance and not just ride the technology wave looking for the next best thing.  I want my students to be exposed to different tools, but I want them to see the tools as much more than the means-to-an-end.  I want to remember that technology can’t fill in all the gaps, or solve the problems a school has, but that it can provide “a quantum improvement in our ability to meet new educational needs.”  I believe it is all about balance and our willingness to dig deeper.