EDCT 203 Assignment # 12: Lost Arts of Teaching?

Do you think technology can facilitate learning? Why and why not?

I do think technology can facilitate learning, it just has to be done in the right way. A teacher who makes Power Points and fills them with notes, and then stands up and reads them word for word, is not facilitating learning. At all. I think that some teachers use technology as a crutch in that way, they make it do all the work, and use it in a way that is not beneficial for students at all. However, I am not against technology. After reading the article "Lost Arts of Teaching," I really started thinking. I believe that there has to be a healthy balance in the classroom. This includes technology, group work, independent work, hands on projects and many other things. In this environment, technology should be used as a tool to assist a multidimensional lesson--not BE the entire lesson. Good examples would be all of the tools we have learned thus far in EDCT 203.

What are the factors that affect our decisions on whether and how we will use a technology in our classes or not?

Obviously, I am not a teacher yet, so it is difficult to answer this question realistically. However, I think that as a teacher, we need to first develop a lesson and a method of how to teach that lesson, and THEN incorporate the technology to enhance the lesson and deepen learning. You always need a base of knowledge before you can effectively use and integrate technology. As far as Power Points, I feel that they should be used sparingly, and only as a guide. I could see using a Power Point to show pictures that are associated with a lesson, or You Tube videos that pertain to a lesson and make a lesson more tangible. I definitely plan to use technology on a fairly regular basis, but it is hard to say exactly how because I do not know how equipped my school and classroom will be.