What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
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Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#2The idea of kids using their cellphones in class brought an article that Frasier Speirs wrote back in October to mind: http://speirs.org/blog/2010/10/9/run-what-ya-brung.html
He argues that there are a number of assumptions that come into play with using pupil's phones in this manner. He's worth reading, since he's involved in a project bringing tablet computers (currently iPads) into the school that he's working for and integrating them into their teaching. The entire series is fascinating reading if you're interested in mobile technology in schools.
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#3Teacher, Administration and Government who doesn't understand said technology. http://whoshouldbethenextpresident.com/
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#4This is a baffling question to be asking, given that the evidence that computers are a wonderful aid to learning is scant. Making it easier to putz around on cellphones at school hardly sounds like a educational advance.
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#5This is a baffling question to be asking, given that the evidence that computers are a wonderful aid to learning is scant. Making it easier to putz around on cellphones at school hardly sounds like a educational advance.
I don't blame the kids for saying this is what they want, but I would blame any adult who listened to 'em.
Ask kids what they want, and school will be optional and lunch will be ice cream.
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#6Asking students what they think they need to learn? Problem is, they don't know - so they answer with whatever is the niftyest gizmo they adhere to.
The real answer is: they need to learn to DO THE WORK with whatever tools they have. I teach introductory programming, and the biggest problem students have is lack of inclination to simply perform and submit assignments (about 1/3rd suffer this affliction); it is not for lack of understanding, but for lack of action. Getting wound up in arguments about the suitability of various technologies completely misses the problem: if a student is unwilling to absorb the material as given, and to perform assignments on whatever medium is available, they will not learn.
An old copy of Knuth's "Art of Computer Programming" and a willing student will make a far more talented engineer than giving a disinterested student an iPad with anywhere/anytime access to the totality of human knowledge (including Angry Birds).
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#7More and more people have been bringing laptops to some of my classes. I find the clicking keys to be very annoying. I'd go nuts if the whole class typed their notes.
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#8My school censors almost everything on the internet. paulgrahm.com is blocked for being a personal site, as are all blogs, wikis, and forums. And the best part? The teachers have different censors so if a teacher gives you an assignment with links on it there's a fairly good chance you won't be able to use most of the links. I use my iPhone at school to do research because it has an uncensored internet connection.
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#9This is a baffling question to be asking, given that the evidence that computers are a wonderful aid to learning is scant. Making it easier to putz around on cellphones at school hardly sounds like a educational advance.
Actually, there is significant evidence that integrating mobile technology into the classroom does in fact aid learning, but only of the instructor is will to embrace the technology instead of fight it. Unfortunately, most instructors don't feel comfortable changing their teaching methods, so technology is seen as having no impact.
Here's one article about one professor's experience with integrating Twitter into the classroom: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_one_teacher_uses_tw...
There are numerous similar examples of teachers that are experimenting with technology and seeing positive results, but are being stonewalled by administrators who are afraid of trying something new.
Yes, there's always a risk that students will just be able to play Angry Birds on their phones in class, but then, those same students can just doodle in their notebooks instead. Should we take all notebooks and pencils away? Any tool has the potential to be abused, but it also has the potential to significantly help.
Re: What Do Kids Say Is The Biggest Obstacle To Technology At School?
#10Asking students what they think they need to learn? Problem is, they don't know - so they answer with whatever is the niftyest gizmo they adhere to. The real answer is: they need to learn to DO THE WORK with whatever tools they have. I teach introductory programming, and the biggest problem students have is lack of inclination to simply perform and submit assignments (about 1/3rd suffer this affliction); it is not fo…
> An old copy of Knuth's "Art of Computer Programming" and a willing student will make a far more talented engineer than giving a disinterested student an iPad with anywhere/anytime access to the totality of human knowledge (including Angry Birds).
Likewise, a willing student with an iPad is going to have the potential to learn so much more than a disinterested student with a textbook.
If a student is disinterested and completely lacks motivation, it won't matter if you use a tablet or a textbook, that student is probably not going to learn much. However, a willing and interested student can learn so much more with newer, more powerful tools. Does it really make sense to hold the willing student back because of the disinterested student?
As far as motivating the lazy student goes, you are far more likely to spark their interest with real-world applications on a tablet or smartphone than with a boring old textbook.