“Today’s schools are faced with a difficult dilemma that pits a student body that has grown up immersed in technology against a teaching faculty that is less facile with the tools of the trade” (Richardson p.6)
After reading the first three chapters of Richardson’s book, and reading Merrill’s “First Principles of Instruction” it became clear to me that the fundamental challenge that awaits the system of education is how to use current instructional design theories to implement a change in how we use technology (mainly the Internet) in the classroom.
Merrill explains and elaborates on the commonality of many of the widely excepted instructional design theories. He discusses Reigeluth’s ideas that we should “…concentrate on what is taught rather than how we teach” (Merrill p.43). Merrill alludes to Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, Jonassen’s and Shank’s ideas on problem solving, and Van Merrienboer’s ideas on sequencing. What Merrill’s paper stressed is the idea that these theories all have some common elements. So how can these common elements all relating to problem solving; integration, activation, demonstration, application, and experience, be used to solve the problem of the read/write web discussed by Richardson?
First, we need to discuss the problems with the read/write web in education. As Richardson states, “…the Read/Write Web is changing our relationship to technology and rewriting the age old paradigms of how things work” (Richardson p.3). The main problems Richardson discusses are how technology is ever changing and we as teachers are behind where are students are in the learning curve. He also talks about the “toolbox” of ways to publish and maintain information. He list Weblogs, wikis, rich site summary, aggregators, and social bookmarking as some of the main tools. The question shared by both Merrill and Richardson is how teachers, schools, and the system implement this technology in the classroom?
When you “mesh” the two readings together the answer becomes clearer. We (as educators) need to approach the implementation and pedagogy of these technologies the same way we would approach any new curriculum. We must take instructional design theories that we know work in the classroom and apply them to the read/write web. I know what your thinking, sounds to simple. What is really going to blow your mind is when I ask you, how do we choose the instructional design theory, if as Merrill states; they have so many common elements?
The answer is one of the best parts about being a teacher. We get to decided what will work best for our students through trail and error. We have to approach the read/write web with the basic understanding that we know less then our students, not easy to admit but true. As Richardson discusses, we are really showing students the way to effectively use the technology with what we are teaching. There are so many benefits of weblogging, and wikis that we can not afford to not use them in the classroom or we have failed as educators.
~Jeremy Mellon
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6 comments:
I agree with your statement about the best part of being a teacher! That is something that makes our chosen profession so unique, every teacher can make a lesson "their own".
I also agree with your thoughts on the future of the read/write web. I wrote in my blog about the importance of using a problem-based curriculum to ensure real world education. What better way than using the web to promote the real world! The fact is that the web is our present and, even more so, our future. Students need to be taught with the web as a tool for learning. The tricky part is for teachers to assess all of the ever-changing facets of the internet and choose effective instructional tools just as we have been doing with current curriculums. Staying ahead of the game (and the students) will certainly be a challenge!
I guess I am more "into" the specifics offered in the Grabowski book regarding developing a web-enhanced lesson plan. I want a clearer understanding of the jargon-like "site element" versus "network elements" and "organized sites." I think she'll be looking for those in our web-enhanced lesson plan on how to construct a blog.
Educational advantages of the read/write web are too numerous to comprehend...if only educational administrators would allow for more collaboration with technology experts (alongside classroom teachers) so that we could use the web more effectively in the classroom. I agree with you that we need to look at our educational goals for students, use valid learning theories and known educational research, and plan engaging instruction, using web-based tools whenever they match the goals. Once students are introduced to these technological tools, students themselves are excellent at evaluating their effectiveness! The circle of communication and collaboration continues to widen, and everyone is enriched...however, it starts with informed leadership and a shared vision for the future!
Ahhhh yes, and being that teacher who tries these new technologies makes you the "irritation in the system". Your small changes/irritations will quickly be noticed by others and they will start to change as well. It all goes back to that system! Just imagine how you can change it.
-Dr. Fritz
You have hit the nail on the head. We (teachers) stand on the shoulders of giants, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. Chris Lehmann (blog @ pracitcaltheory.org) says, Web 2.0 tools are the tools to realize Dewey's dream for education.
I believe that with this information we posses about Web 2.0 tools we need to become evangelists and start spreading the "word" to the educators and administrators that are too afraid to let go of the internet. Kids will find a way to access the internet - block or no block, it is up to the educators to teach our students how to publish with ethics using an ethic of care. For more on the ethic of care check out Nel Noddings - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nel_Noddings I look forward to reading more of your posts...
Your opening quote stuck with me as well, basically that we are a teaching force who were not taught with technology, but must teach students who are immersed in it. It is true, too, that most of us are behind our students in our technologic know how. At the rate kids are moving, I'm afraid we may never catch up. That is scary.
We are learning a lot in this class,however, to help us catch up.
I like your analysis of the two readings. We must take the instructional systems that already work in our classrooms and apply them to this everchanging curriculum: technology so that it is used effectively.
Problem based learning is a great way for students to investigate and wrestle with ideas and information that will stay with them for a long time. Using technology and the internet to help students learn is perfect way to facilitate problem based/real world problems.
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