In a way, this experience is a metaphor for everything we have been reading, doing, and thinking about. In the same way that the course has presented huge streams of data, seeming to move at an incredible pace, so goes the world of "integrating educational technology". The pace of change--in educational theory, technological development, and everything surrounding them--is dizzying. The sheer volume of information is daunting, and growing exponentially. Links lead to more links, and a person can get overwhelmed rather quickly!
Meanwhile, we've been doing all of this through a brand-new platform (D2L, replacing Blackboard) within an environment which didn't even exist a few short years ago (online education). So we've been functioning "within" technology, even as we have been discussing its place and role in education. We have experienced both the power and shortcomings/limitations of this mode of learning as it is presently understood and constructed.
Furthermore, we've dabbled with a few other forms of technology--not the least of them being these blogs themselves. I have mixed feelings about the use of blogs as "technological tools in education". These feelings come both from this experience as well as my own efforts to "use" them as a teacher. First, blogging is generally thought of as a personal undertaking. There seems to be something "forced" and "unnatural" about "using" them as educational tools--especially when they are to be written more formally (with citations, etc) than personally/naturally. Second, this "artificial" use of blogs seems to fail where blogs are supposed to succeed--i.e., in their "interactivity".
Both here and with my own attempts to use blogs as a tool, I have found that the "dialogue" blogs theoretically encourage doesn't really materialize. When people choose to read, follow, and comment on blogs because of personal interest, the dialogue/conversation happens naturally and organically. When people are required to write and respond to blogs, the process is artificial, and loses the very naturalness and authenticity that defines the medium. Even though I have my students do personal writing, it is still an artificially-created entity, and invariably falls flat.
We have also dabbled with Twitter. I have already written extensively about some of my thoughts with respect to this undertaking. What I have just written about blogging also holds true for my thoughts and experiences with the Twitter project. But even more than that, I have found that I have had one other significant issue. Twitter is, by definition and practice, a "social" medium. It is a platform which I have previously used purely for personal, recreational interaction. Again, forcing it to become a "work-related" platform has been a frustrating experience.
At first, I tried to integrate it into my "normal" Twitter account. I found that so unsatisfactory that I felt compelled to create a separate "work" account. But logging into and using it was "work". I found that I deeply resented this intrusion into a medium which had previously been purely for fun. This made me think of a much bigger issue--the "creep" of work into every moment of our lives. We are all now constantly "on the clock". We check our work email--and often end up working as a result--at all hours of day and night. This is disturbing and unacceptable. We cannot allow "work" to permeate our entire existences. There are times and places (both physical and virtual) which must remain sacrosanct.
Ultimately, then, I have mixed feelings about "integrating educational technology". Perhaps it boils down to a matter of design or intended use. Technology which is designed or intended to be "educational" or used for educational purposes (LinoIt being a great example) functions beautifully. But attempts to fold, bend, or mutilate technology which was not designed or intended for education seem much less successful. It is laudable that educators are trying to be creative and interested in technology. But where I find educators sometimes rather overeager and somewhat naive is in the area of the "philosophy of technology"--understanding technology from the inside out; understanding how its design is both intentional and limiting.
I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that "technology" is driving a revolution at least as massive as the invention of the printing press and the Industrial Revolution. The technological revolution has profound impacts for absolutely every aspect of society--including education. Everyone involved with education--academics, policy makers, administrators, teachers, and all other stakeholders--must do everything humanly possible to truly understand the technological revolution and ensure that the education system is fully integrated within it.
And that is my final point and "takeaway" from this course. So far, we have it backwards. It is not a matter of integrating technology into education, but rather one of integrating education into technology--into an entirely new social paradigm. Rather than trying to shoehorn bits and pieces of technology into the world of education as we know it, we need to imagine an entirely new world of education, and how it can integrate seamlessly within the technological revolution.
No comments:
Post a Comment