Taking stock.
After attending the two lecture days on technology enhanced learning at Sheffield Hallam, I boarded the London bound train with a heavy heart. More a digital alien than a digital visitor let alone digital resident, with the sole exception of Flip videos, everything that I had come across during the lectures was new and not at all easy to get to grips with. Having only very previously acquired an iPhone, (and only then after much persuasion) my working knowledge of blogs, google accounts, remote hosts (was that just someone who threw rubbish parties...?) and twitter was akin to my working knowledge of everyday Swahili and seemed just about as incomprehensible.
For a number of reasons explained in the Home page preamble to this assignment, I was unconvinced with regard to the types of digital technology introduced at Sheffield Hallam not because I was unaware of its burgeoning importance but because if I am brutally honest, I really wasn’t very good at it and felt it that had more downsides than up. I took pride in my aversion to certain types of communicative digital technologies, particularly twitter and social networking sites, regarding them as the remit of those with either too much time on their hands or fully paid up members of Nerdsville. I felt that because I have kept pace with developments in CAD CAM and have effectively embedded them into my teaching over the years, with very positive results, I was already an effective practitioner of digital learning.
Many hours were spent during the summer researching and investigating the various threads of technology enhanced learning and it proved to be revelatory – I needed convincing! Investigating articles such as Tech Republic’s “Preparing students for a global knowledge economy,” The 2008 Byron report on computer gaming, examples of effective practice in Bolton by Dave Mitchell and online dialogue with leading academic lights such as Steve Wheeler proved invaluable and allowed to rethink my approach and acknowledge the potential of technology enhanced learning in both a communicative and collaborative sense. Ultimately, observing my own very young children and the ease with which they handle this technology was a clincher. As they grow up with digital technology, smart screen interfaces hold no fear and their handling of electronic gadgets seems intuitive. Clearly defined parameters of use and their own boredom thresholds appear to foster an instinctive blended approach towards the use of modern technology and more traditional learning methods, i.e a good book!
Therefore, whilst not exactly evangelical about technology enhanced learning I felt that my summer endeavours had led to an important shift in perspective, an increased awareness of the bigger digital picture and its repercussions for the global economy and ultimately I was convinced that it did have a valuable role to play in the classroom.
How can technology enhanced learning benefit my pupils?
“Machines are worshipped because they are beautiful and valued because they confer power; they are hated because they are hideous and loathed because they impose slavery.” Bertrand Russell.
Having experienced a bit of an epiphany over the summer I need to very aware of the potential pitfalls of adopting too much of a scattergun approach to this intervention. It is very tempting, with my new found confidence and developing levels of skill (thanks to the “Dummies guides,”) to be over ambitious and attempt to introduce too many new initiatives, too quickly. Having tried unsuccessfully to introduce new technology such as pod casting systems in my previous school I have learnt through bitter experience, that it is absolutely vital that technology works. Even the patience of the most cooperative and accommodating of classes is stretched to the limit if things don’t work, thus early wins are a must!
I am very fortunate indeed in that School W is a unique learning environment and there are many factors in my favour: pupils who are extremely able and value learning; very positive, trusting relationships between pupils and staff; an enlightened whole school approach to the use of hand held technology and a highly supportive ICT team.
At this point it is vital to really focus on how digital technology fits into my teaching and how it can be used effectively to enhance learning rather than the other way round. Therefore, I need to reconsider the barriers to effective DT learning at School W, prioritise accordingly; implement a realistic time frame and review progress at a germane point in the term.
So, one week back and things are beginning to come together:
- helpful colleague has shown me how to create QR codes
- blogs have been set up for 6 Fifth form groups (YR 9) and seem to be going down well
- blog has been set up for my tutor groups who have responded well and thrown themselves into the limerick competition
- capital funding received for two flip cameras
- tripod ordered
- productive chat with the Head who is looking at the possibilities of using digital learning to enhance the boys' learning.
Time to get cracking on those videos!
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