Rheingold discussed the ways people use participatory media and collective activities to collaborate. Rheingold talked about the collaboration of various group throughout times. He also talked about the prisoner dilemma and how each individual did not want to compromise based or his/her perspective of being cheated even though they did not know each other. The social dilemma educators are faced with today is closing the great digital divide and therefore enhancing the learning for all our students. Rheingold also discuss the new emergent of technology and it uses in the new era as a learning tool. The global implication of the use of computer will be the catalyst to linking educators/ students with other educators/students all over the globe.
Getting back to Rheingold, the prisoner dilemma also exists amongst educators. Susana Juniu article on Digital Democracy in Higher Education: Bridging the Digital Divide, she discussed the perspective of using technology in the classroom by three different groups of educators. In her discussion she identified three groups. One group felt that technology alone would not enhance or change education. For this group, "technical information is not true wisdom" (Mitcham 1990). They believe that hardware alone would not enhance students learning. For them, incorporating instructional changes, fostering students' critical thinking skills, and possessing strong constructivist pedagogies must always be a prerequisites for the use of computer technology in instruction. For this group, in short, questions of pedagogy must always precede questions of technological integration.
Another group of educators believes that computers can engage and motivate students to learn more, and thus it advocates the use of technology within the classroom. For this group, pedagogical principles are not necessarily irrelevant, but they are less sharply defined at the outset such that the educators in this group are more willing to modify their teaching strategies with different tools in different circumstances. This group of faculty users corresponds to Milliron and Miles's notion of the "reasoned center" (2000).
A third group views technology as the key answer to the problems in education and an indispensable means of school transformation and reform. These "techno-promoters" usually believe that students learn faster, better, and more extensively with computers (Cuban 2001).
From a constructivist perspective, technology such as the Internet and World Wide Web would facilitate instructional goals, conditions of learning, and method of instruction. Reasoning and critical thinking could be facilitated through microworlds, problem-based learning. And cognitive flexibility (which produces multiple perspectives and multiple modes of learning) could be facilitated through utilizing hypermedia (Driscoll, 2005, p. 402).
What would be the paid off if educators participated in collaboration and a collective educational community using technology as a catalyst to improve learning across our nation.
Getting back to Rheingold, the prisoner dilemma also exists amongst educators. Susana Juniu article on Digital Democracy in Higher Education: Bridging the Digital Divide, she discussed the perspective of using technology in the classroom by three different groups of educators. In her discussion she identified three groups. One group felt that technology alone would not enhance or change education. For this group, "technical information is not true wisdom" (Mitcham 1990). They believe that hardware alone would not enhance students learning. For them, incorporating instructional changes, fostering students' critical thinking skills, and possessing strong constructivist pedagogies must always be a prerequisites for the use of computer technology in instruction. For this group, in short, questions of pedagogy must always precede questions of technological integration.
Another group of educators believes that computers can engage and motivate students to learn more, and thus it advocates the use of technology within the classroom. For this group, pedagogical principles are not necessarily irrelevant, but they are less sharply defined at the outset such that the educators in this group are more willing to modify their teaching strategies with different tools in different circumstances. This group of faculty users corresponds to Milliron and Miles's notion of the "reasoned center" (2000).
A third group views technology as the key answer to the problems in education and an indispensable means of school transformation and reform. These "techno-promoters" usually believe that students learn faster, better, and more extensively with computers (Cuban 2001).
From a constructivist perspective, technology such as the Internet and World Wide Web would facilitate instructional goals, conditions of learning, and method of instruction. Reasoning and critical thinking could be facilitated through microworlds, problem-based learning. And cognitive flexibility (which produces multiple perspectives and multiple modes of learning) could be facilitated through utilizing hypermedia (Driscoll, 2005, p. 402).
What would be the paid off if educators participated in collaboration and a collective educational community using technology as a catalyst to improve learning across our nation.
References:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html
Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and underused computers in the classroom. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Juniu, S. (2005). Digital democracy in higher education: Bridging the digital divide. Published in Innovate, http://www.innovateonline.info/
Mitcham, C. (1990). Three ways of being with technology. In From artifact to habitat: Studies in the critical engagement of technology, ed. G. Ormiston, 31-59. Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh University Press.
Milliron, D. & Miles, C. L. (2000). Education in a digital democracy. EDUCAUSE Review November-December): 50-62.
Great post.
ReplyDeleteTechnology has been a big challenge to many educators, similar to the three groups you have presented. Many problems in education with technology is based on the knowledge of the teachers. Many teachers are stuck in the philosophy of this is the way I learned and I am going to teach based on this theory. Considering the diversity of students today, teachers have to meet their needs the best way possible without hindering another student. Technology presents accommodations, visual aids, communication, as well as information on multiple resources. Do you think that with all this latest information with technology, the education system is going to move towards these ideas/designs?
Good post. Technology has brought groups of people together in different ways as well as them facing challenges. Many teachers becomes adapted to a way of thinking and doing things and feel chaning is not beneficial. I believe that education is moving towards new technolgy, but then there are some school systems that are being left behind due to lack of finance. It is time for everyone to get onboard because this world system/education is moving forward fast in technology.
ReplyDeleteThe use of technology is definitely a way to enhance and challenge students to learn in a different manner. Education is no longer one size fit all. For some students the use of technology can make learning a joy and open new doors of enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that Rheingold's example of collaboration and using the prison system interesting. I guess in the prison system groups are formed as a way of survival, but as educators we must also form groups to make sure all students get the best education possible with the use of the most current educational technologies.