Into The Abyss

Into The Abyss
Originally uploaded by OddBall7

The Abyss - that's how I have come to recognise technology. It is an endless sea/pit/void of information, gadgets, plug-ins, ideas, theories, thingamajigs, whats-its, do-hickies, or whatever you would like to call them. The internet is full of them and it will never cease. It is ever evolving from one day to the next. It makes me feel ever so small knowing that even if I was technologically savvy, that I wouldn't even touch the sides of what is out there. This has really hit home as I visit other peoples' blogs and the forums and repeatedly see something new. This constant barrage of information, websites, u-tube, mind maps, posters, blogs, glogs, story telling, video making, audio files, (and this list goes on), I'm finding it all a bit too much really. What makes it all the more daunting is the wading through of all this information and working out how I can use it as a teacher and for my students. I hardly feel equipped to make those decisions.

So, where does this leave me? On a constant journey of learning, that's where.  I need to keep abreast of new and potentially useful technology so that I can use it to further enhance my pedagogical practices and to enhance student learning.  I think our students need to see new technology being used on a regular basis because although a lot of the resources we have seen thus far seems really appealing, engaging, motivating or fun, it won't be long before something new and better comes along and our students become bored with what was once considered the 'in' thing or the 'bees knees' of technology.  Technology, to some extent, will probably follow fads. Some things will come and go really fast, while others will have a longer life.  If we are really clever, we will be able to pick the ones that will be able to stand the test of time.

So, how do I keep at least a toe in this endless sea of technology?  Join a community of practice and get to know people who are passionate about the use of technology in schools; embark on professional development opportunities targeted to ICTs in education, experiment with technology and be courageous enough to try them out in the classroom (I just need to be prepared with a back up plan if all goes pear shaped - just as I would with anything new I am experimenting with)!!  But, possibly, the most important thing I could do is talk to my students.  They are the ones I want to engage, so only they can tell my what they are interested in.  I need to ask them what they do in their spare time, websites they visit, technologies they are using, and ask them if they have ideas about how we could use these things in the classrooms.  And I am sure that many students would be more than happy to show me how to use certain programs/websites, which I can then (hopefully) use to engage my students in learning.  Collaborative learning at it's best. 

What else does "the abyss" mean for me as a teacher?  As knowledge, information and technology is changing at a rapid rate, I need to teach my students the skills of life learning, to encourage them to take risks and experiment with new wonders, to take responsibility for their own learning, and to ask questions and seek answers autonomously.  They will need to be able to do this to live, work and be productive in the new knowledge economy.  This is what being a learning manager is all about - facilitating the learning journey, not controlling or limiting it (Smith, Lynch & Mienczakowski, 2003).

Reference:

Smith, R., Lynch, D. & Mienczakowski, J. (2003). "The bachelor of learning management (BLM) and education capability": Why we do not prepare teachers anymore. Change: Transformations in Education, (6)(2): 23-37.