Engagement with Learning, then technology!
Putting the art of teaching first, the tool second.
Teachers all know that teaching is a combination of science and art. There is the science behind teaching, the brain research, the psychology, sociology, etc., that all help us define how we work with our students. Trauma informed practice is a good example of this. We change how we teach based on what research shows is effective.
Then there is the art of teaching. I would say this is the relationship side of teaching. I have always said students don't learn as well from people they don't like. A positive relationship with your students is essential in being an effective teacher. We need to have excellent interpersonal skills, and building those relationships in an atmosphere of trust, respect and engagement is an art that not everyone can do. Positive relationships take a lot of work!
Then we have the tools of the trade. These usually include the technology we use. Books, pencils, white boards, etc., are all technology and allow us to be more effective teachers. Today teachers have more educational technology tools at their fingertips than ever before, and this can be a huge distraction for us. In fact, some teachers think they can only be a good teacher if they have the right technology. That is a myth that is largely supported by the technology vendors... watch a few car commercials to see how driving in the "right" vehicle is the "only" way to go.
Our tools can shape how we teach and we need to be aware of that. Case in point. When blackboards first became available they were not used by teachers all that much. Teachers were used to individualizing instruction with their students using a slate (the personal computer of the day!) and chalk, and the blackboard was really only good at presenting one lesson to everyone - or the class average. One lesson for all! The tool shaped the way teachers presented their lessons. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail goes the saying...
Today we have a rapidly changing world, some would call it the fourth industrial revolution. We can never keep pace with all of the technological change, however, we can still be effective teachers when we put learning first (good pedagogy) and the tool second.
So relax! You can be a innovative teacher without using the latest technology!!!
In fact, see if you recognize this scenario:
The teacher is engaging students with technology. All is going well, however, it seems like the rat-race, in that what engaged the students one month is no longer engaging them the next month, the old behaviors are back! The teacher is continually searching for the latest greatest tool to keep the students engaged. The next best app, device, or whatever will help keep my students motivated goes the thinking. We all know that doesn't work for too long... and results show it to be true.
The danger of this thinking is that the teacher is putting the tool first and learning second. Are the students engaged in the learning outcomes or the tool outcomes? One professor found that students can appear to be engaged and yet still perform poorly on assessments that measured the learning outcomes. You will hear more from her research throughout this series.
Remember: Technology is merely an amplifier of what students know and can do. Garbage in, louder garbage out. Good thinking in, louder good thinking out!
Over the next couple of months I will discuss our division's initiative of learning first, technology second and how you can effective use technology to realize synergy in your classroom.
Stay tuned!
Clint
Teachers all know that teaching is a combination of science and art. There is the science behind teaching, the brain research, the psychology, sociology, etc., that all help us define how we work with our students. Trauma informed practice is a good example of this. We change how we teach based on what research shows is effective.
Then there is the art of teaching. I would say this is the relationship side of teaching. I have always said students don't learn as well from people they don't like. A positive relationship with your students is essential in being an effective teacher. We need to have excellent interpersonal skills, and building those relationships in an atmosphere of trust, respect and engagement is an art that not everyone can do. Positive relationships take a lot of work!
Then we have the tools of the trade. These usually include the technology we use. Books, pencils, white boards, etc., are all technology and allow us to be more effective teachers. Today teachers have more educational technology tools at their fingertips than ever before, and this can be a huge distraction for us. In fact, some teachers think they can only be a good teacher if they have the right technology. That is a myth that is largely supported by the technology vendors... watch a few car commercials to see how driving in the "right" vehicle is the "only" way to go.
Our tools can shape how we teach and we need to be aware of that. Case in point. When blackboards first became available they were not used by teachers all that much. Teachers were used to individualizing instruction with their students using a slate (the personal computer of the day!) and chalk, and the blackboard was really only good at presenting one lesson to everyone - or the class average. One lesson for all! The tool shaped the way teachers presented their lessons. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail goes the saying...
Today we have a rapidly changing world, some would call it the fourth industrial revolution. We can never keep pace with all of the technological change, however, we can still be effective teachers when we put learning first (good pedagogy) and the tool second.
So relax! You can be a innovative teacher without using the latest technology!!!
In fact, see if you recognize this scenario:
The teacher is engaging students with technology. All is going well, however, it seems like the rat-race, in that what engaged the students one month is no longer engaging them the next month, the old behaviors are back! The teacher is continually searching for the latest greatest tool to keep the students engaged. The next best app, device, or whatever will help keep my students motivated goes the thinking. We all know that doesn't work for too long... and results show it to be true.
The danger of this thinking is that the teacher is putting the tool first and learning second. Are the students engaged in the learning outcomes or the tool outcomes? One professor found that students can appear to be engaged and yet still perform poorly on assessments that measured the learning outcomes. You will hear more from her research throughout this series.
Remember: Technology is merely an amplifier of what students know and can do. Garbage in, louder garbage out. Good thinking in, louder good thinking out!
Over the next couple of months I will discuss our division's initiative of learning first, technology second and how you can effective use technology to realize synergy in your classroom.
Stay tuned!
Clint
So true Clint. We all have a different relationship with technology and incorporating the use of technology or not incorporating it should never be used as the yardstick of effective teaching. The relationships that teachers have with their students is very important, as is the confidence the students have in a teacher's command of the subject matter they are teaching. Luckily we have you at the helm to guide our teachers. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDelete