Posted: 21 Oct 2007, 05:16
Experience as a teacher and as a student (both self-taught and without a teacher) tells me that technology is nothing more than a tool for teaching, not a solution, and at worst it can be a distraction. Remember that of Einstein, Pascal and Newton, none had computer assisted learning, and only Einstein had chalkboards in his classroom.
The most important part of learning is the instant feedback one gets from a teacher knowledgeable in the topic or language. Without that feedback, incorrect information learned will be reinforced and remembered. With the instant correction of a teacher, students often better realize not just what the correct answer is, but why. Learning requires the spontenaity of question and answer, of drill, of customized teaching that improvisation will allow, and computers alone cannot do that. In class teaching also allows the students to test their knowledge instantly, to form questions and sentences in an improvisational manner, something that is impossible with books only and very difficult on computers without highly advance AI programming. And last, testing should be done to check for correct information, not to reinforce it. If teachers are required to use technology to teach, some of it can become the focus of the students instead of the teachers' words, and that's counterproductive.
Myself, the only two pieces of technology I would like to have in a room are:
(1) An overhead projector, the old "acetate over a light onto a wall". It allows the teacher to face the students while writing and talking, especially important when working with young learners who are easily distracted. As well, acetate slides can be easily replaced with pre-made images, rather than the slow process of writing on a chalkboard or whiteboard.
(2) A tablet PC with good visibility in many directions. The ability to present a slideshow or "flashcards" on screen would require far less materials on hand, allowing one device to replace them all.
In my college, one classroom had both combined - my computer programming instructor could type in his examples, run them and the instant response could be displayed on the screen for all students to see. It reduced the necessity of one-on-one teaching while allowing students to learn trial and error without having to use a separate computer for each of them.
The most important part of learning is the instant feedback one gets from a teacher knowledgeable in the topic or language. Without that feedback, incorrect information learned will be reinforced and remembered. With the instant correction of a teacher, students often better realize not just what the correct answer is, but why. Learning requires the spontenaity of question and answer, of drill, of customized teaching that improvisation will allow, and computers alone cannot do that. In class teaching also allows the students to test their knowledge instantly, to form questions and sentences in an improvisational manner, something that is impossible with books only and very difficult on computers without highly advance AI programming. And last, testing should be done to check for correct information, not to reinforce it. If teachers are required to use technology to teach, some of it can become the focus of the students instead of the teachers' words, and that's counterproductive.
Myself, the only two pieces of technology I would like to have in a room are:
(1) An overhead projector, the old "acetate over a light onto a wall". It allows the teacher to face the students while writing and talking, especially important when working with young learners who are easily distracted. As well, acetate slides can be easily replaced with pre-made images, rather than the slow process of writing on a chalkboard or whiteboard.
(2) A tablet PC with good visibility in many directions. The ability to present a slideshow or "flashcards" on screen would require far less materials on hand, allowing one device to replace them all.
In my college, one classroom had both combined - my computer programming instructor could type in his examples, run them and the instant response could be displayed on the screen for all students to see. It reduced the necessity of one-on-one teaching while allowing students to learn trial and error without having to use a separate computer for each of them.