Will emerging technologies change my profession?

Whether we like it or not technology is here to stay, and all of us have to find our own way of embracing it and making it fit into our lives and professions.  Mobile ways of communicating, like emails and cell phones, are now the norm, and social networks seem to be emerging as the easiest way of exchanging and dissiminating information.  The world has become digital and if the goal of education is to prepare students to succeed in it, then we must teach them how to use technology in a way that will benefit them.  Just like any other tool, if used properly, it can add value and enrich the experience of learning. Since students are already very engaged with texting, facebook and online games, they are very comfortable with the use of various applications and have no fear of experimenting with new ones.  This interest and ability can be chanelled by using applications that engage their minds into online projects that seemlessly bring in the concepts and vocabulary of the subject. As stated by Dede (1996, p.2),"Expanding traditional definitions of literacy and rhetoric into immersion-centered experiences of interacting and information is crucial to preparing students for full participation in 21st century society". If we don't bring technology into the classroom, as an essential resource, the cost will be that our students will not be prepared for the new type of job market.

Our role is to redifine"how we communicate and educate by using new types of messages and experiences to be more effective" (Dede, 1996, p.2). It is hard to break out of our old patterns of traditional "teaching by telling"but as pointed out in Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education, "the pattern on the rug" is becoming apparent. Unless we want to become outdated in our job skills we will need to learn this new method of teaching. Our students are used to accessing information whenever and wherever they want, but many do not know how to stay on task and end up wandering the internet from one site to another. We need to teach our students how to filter through "a plethera of incoming information"(Dede, 1996, p.2) and discover patterns of knowledge and then learn to use this knowledge in ways that address real world problems. This type of learning helps them to retain the information because they are "learning-through-doing"(Dede,1996). Hopefully, this will help them get better scores on their standardized tests and make our jobs more secure! I hope the picture is not as gloomy as Ravitch states that "computers will replace teachers".  I guess I just can't see that happening.  We will always need teachers, just in a different capacity.  Just because information is available does not mean it makes sense, or that children will not need someone to guide them in critical thinking. I still think you need the human element in this model of teaching for it to be effective. I can see where Game-Based learning and simulations can give the student real world experiences, but we can't forget that the underlying purpose of the whole experience is to learn the skill to engage other humans in science exploration, business, medical or military work. Teachers will still be needed to guide students in exploring the new world of information, in learning critical thinking, and in facilitating collaboration.As Dede states,"Technology-mediated communication and experience supplement, but do not replace, immediate involvement in real settings" (Dede, 1996, p.24). 




Works Cited:

Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education

Emerging Technologies and Distributed Learning