Reflections on Reflections

It has been very interesting looking at the changes that we as a class have gone through as a result of this educational experience.  In looking at our initial postings, the diversity of experience and even the wide range of applications, I think that the bottom line is that we have become more aware of the many complexities of using technology in education.  I think we have all learned more about some of the key theoretical constructs of using technology, how it can be just another tool in a teacher's toolbox, and yet it can be a innovation that requires major adjustments. 

Our goals do not change at all, we want to see our students grow in acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes and values; we want to see lives change even in some small way--yet with technology everything is changed.  We no longer are limited in space and time: we can record a lecture that is seen by a student half way around the world; we can "chat" with classmates almost any time and any place; we can use pictures, sound and interactivity that was unheard of only a few years ago; we can use anything from a virtual 3D environment to a simple PowerPoint.  Yet in all of these options, as a result of this class, I think we have learned to make thoughtful choices. 

Using technology is far more than just using everything available to impress the students and entertain them; it is making careful and planned choices to achieve specific goals.  We have to look at the learning goals for the class and then look at our students and where they are at right now - then we can carefully construct the spaces, and place the tools out for achieving those goals.  In many ways it reminds me of when I would teach first and second grade; I would prepare the room ahead of time and make learning centers built around each learning goal of the day.  In digital spaces and with adults we are still doing the same thing; we help design spaces where students can explore and learn in an environment where they feel empowered, and yet they are being guided to achieve the specific goals of the encounter. 

Even though this class has covered a tremendous amount of theoretical work through our readings, as well as all the readings we have done on our own, I feel that we are just scratching the surface.  The book I am currently reading, Enhancing the Quality of Learning: Dispositions, Instruction, and Learning Processes (Ed. Kirby & Lawson, 2012) also discusses how complex the act of learning is, and how even with all of our modern research methods we are discovering new things every day about the learning process. I feel that I am truly blessed to be able to study this topic in a major university that is seriously exploring this learning process and supporting research into how to both teach and learn in digital spaces.

In looking at how quickly online education is being promoted by almost every institution, and how explosively the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have taken off, truly takes my breath away.  Some people hail these as the new frontier of education, while others warn of the lack of measurement to access true learning. I must admit I have enrolled in a few.  I've listened to the lectures from Stanford University on Machine Learning given by some of the leading experts in artificial intelligence; enjoyed lectures from Oxford University on the history of the English Language, and drooled over the classes offered by many famous lecturers.  The opportunities are now there for those who have the initiative and determination to learn amazing things that used to be limited only to those with ample resources (power and money). Some of these innovations are using cutting edge technology and solid pedagogical choices to optimize the learning opportunities for those taking these classes.  Yet at the same time there are hundreds, if not thousands, of online classes that are highly ineffective because no true changes were made in transferring what was an adequate face-to-face class into an online format. In talking this past week with instructors at a local community college about their preparation for online instruction, I learned that their "training" consisted only of how to use the online delivery system (Angel) and nothing was mentioned about how to adjust the presentation of the class to the online environment.

I hope that someday the material and concepts we have discussed and read about will be required as basic training for all instructors.  Technology is no longer an option or something on the horizon, it is here and it absolutely affects every single instructor and every single student in the world.  Even in a primitive classroom using chalk on a piece of slate, the absence of technology and awareness of its presence in other places is going to affect the future competitiveness of those students. Not that students with more technological access with do better (sometimes the opposite is true), but the fact that technology is there, changes things.

As a result of this class, this experience, I know that I will be much more thoughtful as I make choices of how to incorporate technology when teaching. Also, as I continue my research and writing I will be much more aware of  how working with technology and working in digital spaces gives me so many more choices than traditional environments, and it also give me many more responsibilities as I try to make effective choices.

Like the iPad2 advertisement I quoted at the beginning of the course, " "We'll never stop sharing our memories or getting lost in a good book. We'll always cook dinner and cheer for our favorite team. We'll still go to meetings, make home movies, and learn new things. But how we do all this will never be the same."