Job Discussion Forums

[sixthchild]

This seems to be the theme at the moment about wether teachers use technology in the classroom, apparently those who don't will be replaced by those who do!
Is this the end of teaching as we know it? Even though we grew up with these everday items and even invented them, we are classed as the "immigrants" whereas our darling students are the natives, yet how many do you know that even know how to sent an e-mail?
My main concern is this drive to join the 21st century and prepare our learners for jobs that don't even exist yet, is going to leave even more youngsters on the academic scrap heap before they even finish high school.
Comments, opinions?

[sixthchild]

Hhmm, usual indifference in this forum, either noone understands or noone cares, probably both!

[Lev]

Not too sure exactly what you mean but...

Technology is a tool used to support learning, not a replacement of anything. Also, I don't know of any teachers replaced for not being IT literate, although I could see an employer preferring a teacher who can use IT effectively to facilitate learning over one who can't, or won't, with all other things being equal. Are you suggesting use of technology is somehow bad and teachers should be discouraged from using it? That it detracts from quality education?

I'm also unsure how using technology results in kids being left on some kind of 'academic scrap heap'.

As is always the case when it comes to technology, it is neither inherently good or bad, but can of course be used in a positive or negative way. If there's a problem here, maybe it's with the teachers and their skills and attitudes...

[sixthchild]

Hi Thanks for responding, I am not saying that it is a good or bad thing but it seems that (according to recent conferences I've attended) the shift is definitely to a more technical approach to teaching than the more tried and tested traditional approach, which is fighting a battle with the new styles been adopted by many teaching establishments.
Personally I welcome the change from the old 3r's to the new beefed up 4C'S, yes, if you know what that means then you are in the new team, if you don't then you may have a problem, not this year, but soon!
As for kids been left on the scrapheap, well that is already happenning, nothing new there!

[Sashadroogie]

I say bring back language labs! Headphones, recording/playback devices, private booths for personalised learning. Skype/e-learning is nothing new, and its rise and fall will follow the same trajectory as every other fad that comes along, and what will be left is a fairly small change in some of the details surrounding teaching issues.

[scot47]

And in the language lab the teacher could consult the "Sporting Post" while his students pretended to learn !

[Sashadroogie]