I came across a short article called, Technology Expert Visits Minot talking about a man named David Warlick. He is a technology expert that travels around the world speaking to educators. He was visiting North Dakota and speaking to educators across the state about how to take technology and incorporate it into the classroom. Warlick believes that a lot of the same technology that students use for fun can also be used for learning. He says that items such as video games are actually learning engines. (FYI, David Warlick is the author of the blog 2cents worth...one that we in this class had the option of reading)
This short article made me stop and think a little bit about the way that the world viewed technology when I was growing up. Video games were thought to be something that made kids stupid and lazy. This just isn't the case anymore. I see the potential that these items have for learning. I vow to be a teacher that will let students learn in the way that suits them best. If that means playing a Leap Frog video game to practice math facts, than so be it. Who am I to tell a student how to learn? As long as they are learning, what does it matter?
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3 comments:
Oh my goodness!! I think you have touched on what the majority of the whole technology in schools argument is about...the times are changing. The ways in which kids learn are just completely different than how they were when you and I were growing up. But it's all still so new, do we know how much learning is being compromised? At the same time, kids don't need the same information now as kids in our day did, so are the needs just different?
I love that you touched on this issue. Learning is learning. Kids learn in SO many ways! My eyes were opened in this area as well. I didn't know about everything available!
I had the opportunity to attend a workshop that David Warlick did a couple of years ago. I think that there are a few people who are taking the lead in understanding technology and education and it would be good if we try to keep up with what they are saying and thinking. We don't need to agree with them, but as experts and leaders we can learn from them.
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