Week 1: Reigeluth, Joseph, and Postman

Technology has always been a double-edged sword thing for me.  It has both excited me and intimidated me at the same time.  I always remember as a kid being overtaken with fascination when I first laid eyes on a Nintendo Entertainment System (and for that matter, the Apple IIe that our Kindergarten class had) for the first time.  I also remember my first contact with the Internet, and how having virtually all the information in the world accessible at all times blew my mind.  Or even now, looking at my cell phone that has seemingly unlimited capabilities, it's very thrilling to see how technology has developed in my 30 years here on Earth.

As I grow older, and now being in a classroom for my first year, I have to admit I have a little uneasiness.  Things change at a pace that appears to be approaching light speed.  Once you get used to one way of doing things, it's going to be totally different in a few years.  It might be a better, more efficient way in accomplishing the same goal, but it's another learning curve.  I think, on the whole, increased technology can only help my state of affairs in the classroom.

I found both articles interesting, since they both highlight my enthusiasm and reservations on utilizing technology in my own classroom.  The Reigeluth/Joseph article was particularly interesting when it mentioned the need to shift for a more standards-based assessment method for schools to adopt.  I know most schools are moving this direction with the implementation of Common Core.  Our district has been working the entire year creating Common Core-aligned standards-based report cards and rubrics to roll out for the 2014-2015 school year.  The example given in the article of a student getting a B- in history not being an illustration of what the student knows is dialogue that we as a district have been having all year.  Another interesting point the article makes on page 3 is that electronic performance support systems will be easier to enhance learning once the hardware becomes less expensive.  This sort of dates the article a bit, since many of these powerful devices have become less expensive and feasible to have 1:1 ratio of students to technology in the classroom.

The Postman article illustrates a view I have held regarding technology, though I have an addendum to what he says.  He seems worried that technology will replace one of the primary jobs of the school, assisting parents in building good citizens.  I will say that this, as well as using technology as a crutch for bad teaching, could lead to this.  The thing is, good teachers will always be good teachers whether technology is in the classroom or not.  I've always said that if you can't do it with a piece of chalk in your hand and a chalkboard, you have no business being a teacher.  If a teacher uses technology to enhance learning and build skills more efficiently, only good can come from it.

Our district is getting Google Chromebooks next year for the fourth grade.  It is my hope that I can see some of the benefits imagined by people like Reigeluth and Joseph that technology can bring to a standards-based curriculum.

-Scott