For professional development, I am taking three courses this summer from Virtual High School dealing with online learning. I was asked to keep a blog of issues related to the class, and in doing so, I wanted to make it relevant to the readers of the MusicEdForAll Blog.
First of all, I need to address my biases when it comes to educational technology:
1. Educational technology should help aid students and teachers as supplemental material to the content of the course. That is, while technology can act as a fun, attention-getting novelty item, it needs to be implemented to enhance the structure of the course. In our case, we can teach music through technology, and not technology for its own sake.
2. Educational technology needs to be implemented in every course. Bearing in mind point number one (we are not replacing our content with technology), every course needs to be structured to meet the needs of 21st century learners.
3. There is no “easy button” for effective incorporation of technology, just like there is no “easy button” for effective teaching. Implementing technology in meaningful ways takes an upfront investment of time; but the payback can be tremendous. There is no single piece of software or hardware that will suddenly transform your classroom into one that is responsive to the needs of 21st century learners. Start small, but start somewhere when implementing technology. You’ll quickly learn from your successes and mistakes.
4. Educational technology companies are first and foremost businesses; and while many have good intentions, they will also try to sell you things that are not conducive to a better classroom environment. One of the buzz-topics among educators are interactive whiteboards; but do they really lead to student collaboration and increased learning? Many think not: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-smartboards-are-dumb-initiative.html. Instead, there are many cost-efficient and free software that may not be as publicized,
5. We are only limited by our imaginations. Have you ever taken the time to imagine how your classroom can be transformed through technology? Often times I’ve thought, “I wish I could convert this file,” or, “I wish there was a Twitter that was safe for students,” or, “I wish we could all edit an audio file at the same time.” Lo and behold, this technology all exists, for free! Even if you feel that you are at the beginning stages of implementing technology, take time to envision your ideal classroom. Keeping a playful, creative attitude towards technology will allow you to explore many possibilities for your classroom.
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