Chapter 1, Question 3

My synthesized view of teaching, learning, and technology.

The concepts surrounding teaching and learning are naturally and inherently conjoined. Without one the other could not exist. In order to teach, one must have a student in some form or another; likewise, in order to learn as a student, one must have a teacher. It seems like a simple concept, but the symbiotic nature of the student/teacher relationship is often quite complex, and not always entirely apprehensible. Quite often the roles can become reversed, and it is the teacher who learns more than the student.

Technology fits into the student/teacher equation as seamlessly as any environmental factor or teaching tool, and as such, it can be in a positive or negative way. I believe the main difference between a positive and negative influence from technology is concerned with propriety. How appropriate is a given technology to the instruction that I am trying to produce? How is it going to affect the learning process in regards to the particular students that I am teaching? How well do I understand the technology in question? All of these questions and more should be asked before one implements the use of a particular technology into their instruction.

Technology can be used to great effect within the context of education. If it is appropriate to the lesson and the message intended by the instructor. If it is inappropriate then it becomes, at best, a waste of time, and since time is a key component of the educational process, it is imperative that we not throw any away needlessly. For instance, showing students an accurately performed video of the play, Hamlet, could enhance the students' understanding of the play as they read it, since they will now have a more precise vision of the story's action. Whereas an audio version or a poorly interpreted version on video could perhaps fall flat and simply not accomplish the goal of enhancing the students' understanding of the story.

Since we have established that instructional time with students is important and that it should be valued as such, it is therefore crucial that an educator understand a given technology and its usefulness within the classroom before bringing that technology into the classroom. One must sacrifice one's own time outside of class to learn to use the technology so that class time is not wasted in doing so. Fumbling around with a laptop to get a Powerpoint presentation working or being unable to properly operate a DVD player during class time is inexcusable. If an educator spends 10 minutes from a 50 minute class trying to work a machine, 20% of the class has been wasted. This sorta of behaviour is inappropriate and inefficient and should be responsibly curtailed when one is charged with something as valuable as the education of others.