Going off my last post, I realized how strongly I felt about using technology in the classroom at the right time and at the right amount. With that, I found a cartoon that matched what I expressed perfectly! The cartoon shows my example of how students are becoming more and more relied on things such as computers and calculators. Students aren't taking the time to learn techniques such as long division or the lattice method. And why should they, they have tehcnology to do all the work for them right? Wrong. I feel very strongly that kids should be able to complete assignments and such with NO technology at all. That's what books and paper are here for anyways. For example, in the elementary education math classes, we were not able to use calculators on certain problems and tests. Of course as a student, I hated this rule. I didn't understand why the professor was making us do this and what the point was. Yet, it clearly opened my eyes. I realized that I had forgotten simple equations and processes that clearly I would need as a teacher. I should have known how to do these things, but I have become so used to having a calculator on hand, that I just forgot. I was shown how important it is for teachers to realize that we need to make students learn the hand-written way. Technology breaks and doesn't work, but a pen and paper seems to always be there. As much as I know students will complain, I know the right thing to do is to make them learn these traditional techniques, and make them master them.
Yet, with that I think parents having a role in limiting technology for student's education. A teacher can only control what happens at school. The student can easily go home and complete their homework with a calculator or computer. I think parents should realize that kids are becoming more and more reliable on these devices, so they should monitor the use. For example my high school math teacher had a 5th grade daughter, and she was not allowed to use a calculator on homework that could be done by hand. The girl HATED this and always complained, but to me it was better for her. She happened to be the leader of the mulitplication tests in class that were timed. Coincidence? I think not. All the other classmates would laugh at the fact that she couldn't use a calculator, but she was by far quicker than them in computing things in her head. This situation really opened my eyes to the idea that technology devices such as calculators are way overused. Yet, the use of them must be monitored by teachers AND parents.
With that I would like to just point out that I am no way saying that technology shouldn't be used. I feel technology is a very great thing that everyone should know how to operate. Yet, I think everyone should know how to operate without them too. There must be a balance. If you can't go a day without a calculator or computer, I think that you are overusing these tools. Everyday routines should be able to be completed without them, unless of course it is a part of your profession. I just feel technology should be used at the right time and at the right amount of time.
Cartoon taken from: http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/a/adding_up.asp
Some interesting thoughts here Jamie, I had written a similar post last week. I enjoyed the cartoon. I am still not sure where I fall on the issue of how much to rely on technology and how much we need to do without it. Math is the perfect example. It seems clear with adding and subtracting, and possibly the multiplication tables--though even here, I've found roughly a third of sixth graders don't remember or know these by middle school. Do we continue pushing them to learn this then? or do we let them use calculators? We no longer really do long division, square roots, or any trigonometry by hand.
ReplyDeleteWhat about knowledge? How many facts/background history do we need to teach when we can easily look anything up on google or wikipedia? What are the key concepts and skills that all children should be taught, and which can be left to student choice as the grow and develop their own interests? This seems to part of many deep, connected questions. And, do we need to teach how to function without technology completely in case of some world emergency/chaos?
I agree, there definitely should be a fine line of how far to go with technology in the classroom, but it seems too hard to find! The case is always going to far, or not enough integration. That may be one of the things I struggle with as a teacher. I don't want to allow opportunities with technology to be missed, but I don't want that to be the basis of my teaching. The questions that you posed are all ones that ran through my mind as I wrote this blog. It's a matter of how reliable we become, but how resourceful we allow it to be. I don't think this is a question that will ever be answered. I think it is all going to be on the basis of the teachers beliefs. Yet, with the pace that technology has in society today, it seems we are becoming more and more prone to allowing it to take over. Hopefully a common medium can be found so kids can use it, but do not rely on it!
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