What's wrong with this picture? I mean aside from the fact that whoever built this facility obviously got the blueprints for the classroom and the tool shed mixed up. What I see in this photo is a group of students receiving information from an instructor through a Powerpoint(tm) presentation. I think this is a rather poor use of technology in the classroom. The instructor has a great tool like a projector and presentation software, and he's just using it as a fancy notegiving device. It's like an overhead projector that isn't as eco-friendly.So, what's my point with the photo? I think that a lot of problems with technology use in the classroom come from instructor reluctance to make tech use an interactive experience. I've had too many experiences where either the teacher or the students put together a Powerpoint(tm) for the rest of the class and the presentation fell flat. That technology is very useful in providing a dynamic way to give a presentation, but it often gets used poorly, and it is too heavily relied upon. In the case of presentation tools, the important thing for educators to remember is that they are tools. Their purpose is to augment a type of teaching that takes some practice to make interesting: the lecture. Adding fancy graphics on a screen will not automatically improve a teacher's strength as a lecturer.
Let's take a look at what I think is a better use of technology in the classroom.
Okay, so here's a nice example of a wonderful thing: a computer lab. Obviously every class period can't be spent in this magical place, but it's a tool that has one major advantage over presentation tools--interactivity. I strongly believe any time you give students a chance to get hands on experience with technology they will be far more engaged than if you just show it to them. Of course, this has to be structured because we all know that students will hijack their terminals for Flash(tm) games and celebrity gossip blogs if they don't have some kind of direction when given such a powerful device. At least they won't fall asleep because whoever's giving the presentation is reading his points word for word off of each slide.
Okay, so here's a nice example of a wonderful thing: a computer lab. Obviously every class period can't be spent in this magical place, but it's a tool that has one major advantage over presentation tools--interactivity. I strongly believe any time you give students a chance to get hands on experience with technology they will be far more engaged than if you just show it to them. Of course, this has to be structured because we all know that students will hijack their terminals for Flash(tm) games and celebrity gossip blogs if they don't have some kind of direction when given such a powerful device. At least they won't fall asleep because whoever's giving the presentation is reading his points word for word off of each slide.I think the point I've broadly tried to make here is that technology is great for use in the classroom but the most important underlying principle for its use is that it is a tool. It will be no better or worse than the amount of thought the educator puts into its application in the classroom. Let's hope I remember that myself when I start teaching, right?
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