One of Dewey's most important ideas is the idea of community. He explicitly states that learning is a process of enculturation which is an important idea in terms of incorporating technology into the classroom. Because the classroom is a community, it would only make sense to make technology a tool that is available to all members of that community. While Stager argues that BYOD perpetuates inequality within the classroom, I think it can also be argued that technology is a community building experience. An example of this is Google Docs which as we saw in EDUC 649 today (7/14), are an important tool in community learning.
Another important aspect of Dewey's Pedagogic Creed is the idea that the educational process has two sides, psychological and sociological. He argues that the psychological is the basis and that the child's own instincts furnish the material and provide a starting point for education. I believe the same can be said for the use of technology in the classroom. Each individual has a different way of utilizing technology to solve problems which are unique. My instincts could tell me to use a piece of technology in a completely different way than my peers but the goal is to use that technology as a means to an end. Dewey states that he believes that the center of a child's education is their social activities. Today, technology is at the forefront of social activities. With a plethora of social media available to students, I would conclude, based on Dewey's argument, that it is the responsibility of the school to teach kids how to use these platforms in such a way that would encourage both social and educational growth.
I find very interesting your speculation that technology could provide a point for students to put their own stamp on their learning, and to employ/develop distinct ways of putting a tool to productive use. If I follow you, this could provide a context in which students could meaningfully learn from peers, and that is always a great goal to shoot for. In the bigger picture, it seems that in connecting Dewey's ideas with the leveraging of educational technology you are seeking ways for students to be able to bring their skills and their ways of thinking into the classroom, and to do so in ways that are valued. If I'm reading you correctly, Derek, I'd say that you're on the trail of very good things indeed--continue your search!
ReplyDeleteDerek, I want to talk more about your views on BYOD. When you start teaching, do you think you will have BYOD classes? You talked about how incorporating technology can help build community and I would agree with this statement. Technology helps people stay connecting. For example, thanks to technology I can keep up with friends who live out of driving distance by using skype, e-mail, facebook and many more social media websites. I can also meet new people on the internet who share similar interests as me (obviously beware of stranger danger). However, I think one of the more important things I would be concerned about is if the school could offer better technology. I know not all schools can afford ipads or even computers, but for the ones that do I think using the school equipment is more important. Thus, when I become a teacher, I don't intend to have BYOD classes as long as the environment permits it because I do find technology to be an important factor in the world of socialization.
ReplyDeleteDerek, thank you for bringing up the positive spin about BYOD. I feel like some of us can get so bogged down by the negative effect of inequity that can come from BYOD. I think technology is prevalent in the 21st century and connects many students as well.
ReplyDeleteYour point about technology being a community building experience and mentioning Google Docs is a good one. I think we are moving to a place where having the gadget is becoming slightly less important than just being able to do your thing on any device via the Cloud. Will it ever get there totally? I wonder. Perhaps all children will have a device just like all children have a phone. (But wait, all children do NOT have a phone.) There will always be inequalities in possessions. And even if all students had a device (either from home or from the school), there would still be inequalities in their knowledge, facility and exposure to using those devices. Some children will have greater facility than other, just like it is today with parents who can give their children more, spend more time with them vs those who can't. We are such a materialist culture. Technology is the panacea. Let's build faster computers. Let's all get faster computers. I don't think that's really the answer.
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