Saturday, September 6, 2008
What About My Generation?
During our September 4 class, I have to admit that I bounced back in fourth in my mind between total excitement about trying these tools in my own classroom, and verging on frustration with my own ability to use the tools while I was a student in the classroom. Listening to lecture while on my laptop: taking notes, clicking from site to site, and referencing ilearn was a stretch for me. During my last graduate school experience (over 8 years ago), while about 50% of the students clicked away on their laptops, I rarely brought a laptop to class, much preferring to take nicely outlined notes, or draw a mind map while listening to the lecture. At that time there wasn't even an option to link up to the wireless Internet. Using Web 2.0 tools allow us to multi-task, and to quickly link to new topics of interest. For me this seems such a great way to do individual learning, but for me the stretch is taking this to the classroom. My current work project is developing a class on managing generations in the workplace. I can't help but think about how this newer style of classroom learning will work for people of varying generational biases and learning style preferences. I am thinking about how to make this bridge for myself, and for the people that I might be training in the future.
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2 comments:
As far as making the bridge between technology and education, I think the answer lies in a systematic approach to using technology in the classroom, similar to how we used a design process in ITEC 801 to state exactly what our educational objectives. Specifically, which web 2.0 technology would benefit a certain objective, and just as importantly, WHY something more conventional would not work better.
I think it's very important to choose one tool, one that is easy and accessible to all and demonstrate how to use that tool. I find that when you introduce a new technology to a technologically diverse group, keep things simple and stay focused. People will embrace the technology as long as they feel confident and understand its purpose.
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