Reflections on Teaching and Learning and Technology

7 August 2008

Oops, forgot to post this!

Our last class speaker, Tom Barrett, was a primary school teacher in England who was sharing with us his work with students using VoiceThread and Google Docs. As a nurse I wasn't sure how much I would have to contribute but I have gotten something out of every speaker we have had so far and looked forward to the class. The upshot for me was that in addition to engaging the students and encouraging collaboration, students should be given the choice of using technology. I know as a student I would not necessarily pick a technology to do something when pen and paper would work just as well. Surely there are others like me out there (this is a bit rhetorical as I work with many who would never choose a Web 2.0 technology). In my experience to date, giving the adult learner a choice often leads to his or her interest in learning how to use the newer technologies.

What really struck home with me throughout this interchange is the enthusiasm he and the other teachers participating have for teaching and learning. For them teaching is not just students learning facts and figures to regurgitate successfully for a test. By facilitating experiences with technology for the children these kids are developing ideas, expressing them and learning how to work with each other constructively. The idea that learning is messy and failure okay resonates with them. And after all, isn't that a better preparation for life in the real world?