NCCE 2006 | What is your philosophy?

I started the conference with David "The Shirt" Moursund's session, "Developing a Philosophy of Computers in Education".

Moursund used the session to walk us through his thought process for using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education. Questioning is a critical component to this process, and he put many questions on the table.

One of the questions that really struck me was "What is your 'authenticity' philosophy?" There was a time when not memorizing was a radical idea. The use of pencil and paper meant facts, ideas, and opinions no longer needed to be memorized. This, understandably, shook the memorization approach and changed the nature of education.

Now, the computer has changed the professional world to the point where it is difficult to work without open access to information. How does this change what "authentic" means when applied to work being done? to learning? to assessment?

So, Moursund asked, is letting the computer do something "cheating"? If part of our goal as educators is to prepare students for the world they will be trying to make a living in, are we doing a disservice whenever we limit their access to information?

This brings me back to an ongoing lunch table discussion of the importance of teaching facts. In a world where facts can be looked up in seconds and frequently don't require specialized texts to access, I see no reason to memorize facts, and I find making students memorize facts a waste of time. The facts we find interesting and/or use frequently, we internalize. If we don't use a piece of information frequently or see any value in knowing, there is no reason to memorize it.

What I am more interested in spending time on is the use of facts, ideas, and opinions to create something new. This is becoming an important facet of my philosophy--the use of ICT needs to fit into a process of accessing, understanding, and creating.

This idea of creating something new, of "adding value", of extending the conversation should be the beginning of my philosophy. How is the use of technology going to help my students bring something new to the conversation?

NCCE 2006

I just got back from two very good days in Portland, OR attending the Northwest Council for Computer Education conference.

Normally, this is a pretty wet time of year to visit Portland, so much so that NCCE gave away umbrellas as member gifts. However, the skies were clear and sunny with temps in the high 40s to low 50s. I took a beautiful walk along the river on Wednesday and really wish I had thought to take a camera.

Over the next few posts I will dig into my notes and start thinking about how to use the ideas I have taken from the conference.

Using Computers for Instruction

One of my mid-term readings for ECOMP 5106--Integrating Technology with the Curriculum is Using Computers for Instruction by Dr. Linda Mensing Triplett. Dr. Triplett seems to share the dream of many that computers move beyond simple instructional aids and into the realm of helping students create their own meanings.

Though computers can be used to deliver drill and practice type instruction and to supplement teacher directed activities, computer technology best supports student centered and constructivist teaching methods in which the learner is viewed as actively collaborating with computer technology to construct knowledge.

This certainly seems to be what edublogs are aiming for. Indeed, IT brings a wide range of constructivist possibilities.

In Kozma's view, the goal of teaching is to improve each student’s ability to use knowledge for authentic (real world) tasks. Therefore instruction should involve providing students with the tools needed to develop the skills of constructing informed responses and for assessing alternative responses. Rather than using computers to structure learning experiences or to enhance recall of material, Kozma advocated for the use of computers as tools which could help students consciously manipulate their own learning processes to construct knowledge.

I do, however, find myself wrestling with what exactly this might end up looking like in my own classroom. The article continues, discussing educational uses of computers as existing in three forms: learning from computers, learning about computers, and learning with computers. Naturally, learning with computers helps satisfy the constructivist ideal, and the bullet points help define some of how this might all look in the classroom. Three points stand out.

• computers support explorations by helping students access information for comparing perspectives, world views, and beliefs.
  
• computers support conversation and collaboration among members of learning communities.
  
• computers are intellectual partners that support learning by helping learners to articulate and represent what they know and by helping students construct personal representations of learning.
  

Much of this directly supports/corroborates the rationale for using blogs in the classroom. Other projects that come to mind in light of these points are student publications--brochures, newsletters, pamphlets, web pages--researched using the internet, organized and illustrated in graphic design programs, and published in print or on-line for specific audiences.

This last part, the specific audience, seems to be a key component. Students can learn by constructing meaning in any variety of ways, but if the end product lands on a teacher's desk and goes no farther, what is the ultimate point of creating the product. Certainly the students learn, which satisfies the teacher; however, this misses answering the students' question, "Why are we doing this?"