As we have discussed on many occasions - Technology is simply a tool and if it is not driven by a deep understanding of pedagogy it remains an ineffective tool.
On page 173 the author refers: ' technology should not determine learning; pedagogy should determine learning.' After our many discussions I feel this is true at our school and we strive daily to " lead the child" through our work on feedback and constantly referring to the needs of our students.
Over the years CEDp has continued to develop the other areas this chapter touched on by developing their associations with apple, chrome etc but also thinking about 21 Century skills that need to be developed in order to aim for and achieve the best outcomes for our students.
Anther area of the chapter that I related to as seen on page 192 - 'Moving from Acceptable to Responsible Use Policies'. Our society is becoming more aware of the need for all people to be safe online but definitely our students whom like to feel grown up but still need lots of support in this area. At the beginning of the year, we sent home the CEDP guidelines and asked all students to read through them and discuss them with their parents . They were directed to sign and date the document and ask their parents to complete it also. During times throughout the year when needed we revise the document and consequences that need to take place due to them preaching their side of the contract. I feel at the age they are it is an important part of using technology but also a great way to teach the students about their responsibility when using this tool.
Moving forward in their school life they will continue to use technology so need to understand their role. One area that I feel we have a long way to go is the 'gap' between school and home when using devices whether it is because of the social divide or parent choice. I am not convinced we have the answers nor do I truly understand how deep the problem is. Some of the ideas in the chapter however were inspiring - ' leaving the bus barked in that area so students and families had access to wi-fi" or setting up Cafe's where all family members could access the wi-fi at a free or reduced rate showed me the impact schools can have to the wider community.
Let's hope we can continue to develop our pedagogy in order for all students to achieve growth with or with out this tool.
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It is great that you are continually touching base with the document that outlines responsibilities for users. I also agree that we do not have the data about the possible gap from school to home. Sometimes there is a gap from home to school as children may be doing more sophisticated learning at home than in their classrooms. I feel that one of the aspects not touched on in this chapter is 'digital addictions' and their effects on the brain and human functioning. This is worth exploring further I believe.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with your comment that the technology we offer is perhaps not as sophisticated as what the students use at home.As i commented in my post however we could have the best and brightest of all modern technology but if the teachers do not value using it or are not confident in their skills then isn't this the area where we should invest our money and time?
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