I have always considered myself a very "trendy" educator. I always try to offer my students to most up to date trends in cooperative group work, drill mastery, and the like. One trend I can't seem to even appreciate myself is technology.
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=186154
The above is a news link to the Chicago Charter- ChicagoQuest which is opening this fall. The school is banking on the idea that gaming and technology will provide students with the same quality, if not better quality education, than a traditional school. Initially, I was like "Whoa, no way." Deep down inside I harbor a fondness for traditional teaching methods- rote memorization of multiplication and division facts, using a text book with graphic organizers to learn new concepts- so OF COURSE I wasn't going to be having any of this new type of school business. Then I watched these videos on edutopia.com (great site by the way...of in Facebook speak- BTW).
The first video about Sam was frustrating to me at first- I'm not quite sure why, considering I had a friend just like her in high school, and now he works in Hollywood producing and editing movies. I don't understand how someone could spend all of their time putzing around with technology when there is a whole world out there to be experienced. Why sit and text a friend if you could just meet them at the coffee shop or why have alter egos in WOW or SIMS when you could be doing things that are just as exciting in the real world (minus all of the illegal things some people choose to do in those games). I thought it was very interesting when her dad sat down and said that she is learning great social skills through technology. I never saw it as a strengthening of them, I always saw it as a weakening of them. I have always associated such technology obsessions with anti-social and recluse behavior- finding alternate realms to exist in to stay away from the real world.
This video in particular is making me understand that just because someone is so obsessed with technology that it doesn't mean they are anti-social or have fear of existing in reality- it's just the way interests are going now. Everything is digital and high-tech-ish.
I think the second video about schools using games to teach was interesting and got me thinking about the new charter opening. I never considered the use of games to teach things like science and safety. Science...duh. Students will be motivated by the use of games that teach about different science concepts- they can actually get hands-on with these things. I don't know why I had never thought about it before...I remember a few years ago we went away for the weekend and brought the Wii with us. One of our friends brought over some awful game that required me to perform open heart surgery! Needless to say, it was evident that teaching was definitely a better choice of career direction for me (I think my patient dies some 5 or 6 times on the table before I finally gave up!) I bet if I would have had a tech experience with science earlier on, I would have a better understanding of certain concepts.
An interesting point was that technology and gaming are used for higher order thinking- critical thinking skills and advanced problem solving. One never really considers that. It truly does give the opportunity to try new skills in a safe environment without the fear of negative consequences. Besides the fact that higher order thinking can occur and be assessed, it is also probable that differentiated instruction could be implemented for efficiently was well. Students can work at their own pace or on different levels.
In an ideal situation, the benefits of technology are numerous. Our children could be working cooperatively with children in another country though use of technology. They will be able to bring their imaginations to life, motivating them to continue further into education without fear. They may even find passions in other areas of curriculum that would not necessarily have been discovered without the use of technology.
The pitfalls would be- where do we draw the line of too much and as the video stated...what about video gaming addiction. It is said that people have addictive personalities. What about children who have yet to identify that in themselves? Also, could this lead to anti-social behavior if children are not taught proper tech social skills?
Not everyone is as reluctant as I am about using technology full force in the curriculum. The students especially would respond well to this new implementation because they may not see it as school anymore. When I was in school, it was cool because we got to play in school the same way we played outside of school- with imagination. Now, we require students to use their imaginations during school, but in a different way than games require them to. Although I do not think this should be mandatory in all schools, I do think families should have the opportunity to send their child to school that emphasizes gaming. As with all education, not every child learns the same. Why not offer an opportunity to provide students with an education using their new "favorite past-time," gaming.
Onwards and upwards ChicagoQuest. I look forward to seeing your results!
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