Technology As the Means, Not End, to Education's Problems
When I was in high school I had some really good teachers. Mr. Birch in particular made math relevant to my daily life. His lectures were thorough. He really took the time to make sure every student understood the material before they went home. As much as I appreciated Mr. Birch’s commitment to being an outstanding educator, times have changed in the past 10 years. In 2010 seventy-five percent of high school students and ninety-nine percent of college students had cell phones (Ziegler). In 2011 ninety-six percent of college students used Facebook (Andrews).
Missional vs. Instrumental Thinking
One could argue that this means all teachers should use cell phones and Facebook in every class. In CEP 815: Technology and Leadership, I learned the different between missional and instrumental thinking. Instrumental thinking is looking at the “instrument” to solve problems. For example, schools that buy iPads because they are cool, but do not really have a goal in mind, are practicing instrumental thinking. In this example, the iPad is the instrument. Technology does not fix educational problems on its own.
Missional thinking, on the other hand, is attacking the problem with a goal in mind. A district could, for example, set out to encourage constructivist teaching practices through discovery learning. That may involve purchasing new technology hardware, but it is not for the sole purpose of having the latest iPad; it is to accomplish a learning goal.
I like to think that if Mr. Birch were still teaching today he would have changed with the times. I brought up the statistics involving cell phone and Facebook use not to call for technology hardware upgrades, rather, to illustrate the point that today’s students need to be engaged. Teachers that are still lecturing for the majority of their class periods are inherently not engaging their students. Students today learn best by doing and figuring things out at least somewhat on their own. The teacher’s role has shifted to more of a facilitator than lecturer.
Creating Online Tutorials
In January 2010 I enrolled in the University of North Carolina-Wilmington’s Master of Science in Educational Technology program. I transferred to Michigan State when I moved back to Michigan, and resumed coursework in March 2011. While at UNCW one class that really stood out to me was MIT 511: Multimedia Design and Development. In this course I learned how to use what became one of my favorite technology tools: Camtasia Studio.
Camtasia allows users to create tutorials that record both sound and screen. In this era of on-demand and online education, short, narrated tutorials have become very useful. I have posted an online tutorial in my Technology Showcase about how to use Microsoft PhotoStory. I was also introduced to Common Craft in MIT 511. Lee and Sachi LeFever run the website. They create tutorials on things like how to use Twitter, blogs, QR codes, and more. They use Camtasia to create many of their tutorials.
Salman Khan, creator of the Khan Academy, uses Camtasia to create his online tutorials. He started Khan Academy by posting short screen recordings to help his nephew with his math homework. The site has since expanded to include a plethora of topics outside of just math.
MIT 511 also introduced me to Camtasia Studio’s free younger sibling—Jing. Unlike Camtasia, Jing tutorials cannot be edited. They are also limited to only five minutes. The advantage of Jing is that they are very easy to share. When you are done creating the tutorial, simply click “save” then “share link.” The link can then be pasted and shared. I often use Jing to create short tutorials showing my students how to accomplish short tasks. I can then embed the movie or paste the link on my website so students can go back to it at their convenience.
Google Calendar
In CEP 812: Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice, I learned how Google Calendar could revolutionize my school’s antiquated computer lab reservation system. Continuing my theme of missional thinking, I set out to improve the system so teachers could reserve the labs while they are doing their lesson planning (presumably from home after school, on weekends, or even during their prep hours). The old system required teachers to go to the library, get the reservation binder, and reserve lab time. The downside is that many of them would plan their lessons over the weekend, intending to use a computer lab, then get to school to find out that another teacher had beat them to reserving lab time. Reserving computer labs was becoming such a problem that many teachers stopped trying.
Google Calendar released their “Appointment Slots” feature in Google Calendar in 2011. With Appointment Slots, users can reserve appointments by logging in with their Google account, then clicking on the appointment they want. Once they have reserved their appointment, nobody else can reserve that time.
Creating Online Portfolios
Teacher websites can be very useful for hosting calendars, assignments, tutorials, learning objects, links, and more. In CEP 800: Learning in School and Other Settings, I created a lesson plan teaching students how to create template-based websites using Weebly. They created portfolios showcasing everything they had learned in my Information Science Technology class. They were able to embedded tutorials they had created, photos they had edited, screenshots of Wikipedia pages they had created, and presentations (Prezi and Google Docs) they had given. By the end of the experience they had the feeling that they had learned a lot. They felt better for having taken the course and creating the portfolio.
I also used Weebly in CEP 807: Proseminar in Educational Technology. In this class, the tables were turned. I was the one creating a portfolio. It is true what they say, “What is good for the goose, is the good for the gander.” Creating a portfolio of any kind forces you to reflect back at what you have learned. It is easy to forget how far you have come in a masters program while you are doing it. Missional thinking dictates that any format that requires students to compile examples of their best work, and reflect back on them, is a good thing. In my undergraduate degree, I created multiple portfolios using binders and paper. Hosting the information online enriches the experience by embedding non-print materials such as video and audio. Revisions can also be made and inserted live, without having to take every page out and re-numbering.
The most important lesson that I learned in my masters degree is that technology does not solve education’s problems. Solid pedagogy solves classroom-related problems. Technology can be the means to improving education, not the end. This masters degree taught me to first ask myself what the goals are, then figure out how to achieve them, not vice versa.
References:
Andrews, Julie. (2011, April 28). Is Facebook Good or Bad for Students? The Debate Roils On. All Facebook.
Ziegler, Adam. (2010, June 28). Smart Phones Beating Out Computers. Daily Nebraskan.
Missional vs. Instrumental Thinking
One could argue that this means all teachers should use cell phones and Facebook in every class. In CEP 815: Technology and Leadership, I learned the different between missional and instrumental thinking. Instrumental thinking is looking at the “instrument” to solve problems. For example, schools that buy iPads because they are cool, but do not really have a goal in mind, are practicing instrumental thinking. In this example, the iPad is the instrument. Technology does not fix educational problems on its own.
Missional thinking, on the other hand, is attacking the problem with a goal in mind. A district could, for example, set out to encourage constructivist teaching practices through discovery learning. That may involve purchasing new technology hardware, but it is not for the sole purpose of having the latest iPad; it is to accomplish a learning goal.
I like to think that if Mr. Birch were still teaching today he would have changed with the times. I brought up the statistics involving cell phone and Facebook use not to call for technology hardware upgrades, rather, to illustrate the point that today’s students need to be engaged. Teachers that are still lecturing for the majority of their class periods are inherently not engaging their students. Students today learn best by doing and figuring things out at least somewhat on their own. The teacher’s role has shifted to more of a facilitator than lecturer.
Creating Online Tutorials
In January 2010 I enrolled in the University of North Carolina-Wilmington’s Master of Science in Educational Technology program. I transferred to Michigan State when I moved back to Michigan, and resumed coursework in March 2011. While at UNCW one class that really stood out to me was MIT 511: Multimedia Design and Development. In this course I learned how to use what became one of my favorite technology tools: Camtasia Studio.
Camtasia allows users to create tutorials that record both sound and screen. In this era of on-demand and online education, short, narrated tutorials have become very useful. I have posted an online tutorial in my Technology Showcase about how to use Microsoft PhotoStory. I was also introduced to Common Craft in MIT 511. Lee and Sachi LeFever run the website. They create tutorials on things like how to use Twitter, blogs, QR codes, and more. They use Camtasia to create many of their tutorials.
Salman Khan, creator of the Khan Academy, uses Camtasia to create his online tutorials. He started Khan Academy by posting short screen recordings to help his nephew with his math homework. The site has since expanded to include a plethora of topics outside of just math.
MIT 511 also introduced me to Camtasia Studio’s free younger sibling—Jing. Unlike Camtasia, Jing tutorials cannot be edited. They are also limited to only five minutes. The advantage of Jing is that they are very easy to share. When you are done creating the tutorial, simply click “save” then “share link.” The link can then be pasted and shared. I often use Jing to create short tutorials showing my students how to accomplish short tasks. I can then embed the movie or paste the link on my website so students can go back to it at their convenience.
Google Calendar
In CEP 812: Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice, I learned how Google Calendar could revolutionize my school’s antiquated computer lab reservation system. Continuing my theme of missional thinking, I set out to improve the system so teachers could reserve the labs while they are doing their lesson planning (presumably from home after school, on weekends, or even during their prep hours). The old system required teachers to go to the library, get the reservation binder, and reserve lab time. The downside is that many of them would plan their lessons over the weekend, intending to use a computer lab, then get to school to find out that another teacher had beat them to reserving lab time. Reserving computer labs was becoming such a problem that many teachers stopped trying.
Google Calendar released their “Appointment Slots” feature in Google Calendar in 2011. With Appointment Slots, users can reserve appointments by logging in with their Google account, then clicking on the appointment they want. Once they have reserved their appointment, nobody else can reserve that time.
Creating Online Portfolios
Teacher websites can be very useful for hosting calendars, assignments, tutorials, learning objects, links, and more. In CEP 800: Learning in School and Other Settings, I created a lesson plan teaching students how to create template-based websites using Weebly. They created portfolios showcasing everything they had learned in my Information Science Technology class. They were able to embedded tutorials they had created, photos they had edited, screenshots of Wikipedia pages they had created, and presentations (Prezi and Google Docs) they had given. By the end of the experience they had the feeling that they had learned a lot. They felt better for having taken the course and creating the portfolio.
I also used Weebly in CEP 807: Proseminar in Educational Technology. In this class, the tables were turned. I was the one creating a portfolio. It is true what they say, “What is good for the goose, is the good for the gander.” Creating a portfolio of any kind forces you to reflect back at what you have learned. It is easy to forget how far you have come in a masters program while you are doing it. Missional thinking dictates that any format that requires students to compile examples of their best work, and reflect back on them, is a good thing. In my undergraduate degree, I created multiple portfolios using binders and paper. Hosting the information online enriches the experience by embedding non-print materials such as video and audio. Revisions can also be made and inserted live, without having to take every page out and re-numbering.
The most important lesson that I learned in my masters degree is that technology does not solve education’s problems. Solid pedagogy solves classroom-related problems. Technology can be the means to improving education, not the end. This masters degree taught me to first ask myself what the goals are, then figure out how to achieve them, not vice versa.
References:
Andrews, Julie. (2011, April 28). Is Facebook Good or Bad for Students? The Debate Roils On. All Facebook.
Ziegler, Adam. (2010, June 28). Smart Phones Beating Out Computers. Daily Nebraskan.