Even though I teach computer applications, I am having a real struggle designing photo-sharing activities that I could/would use in my classrooms, beyond exposing the students to their ability to store and share such photos. That would fall under the category of a computer application—one which many students in ninth grade are probably not too familiar with. I will demonstrate to the students the two photo sharing networks that I’m familiar with: Flickr and Picasa. I use these sites as storage and feeders for the pictures that we take of students and related photos on our campus. However, to design an activity that would make this a learning experience or teaching activity seems to me that I’m trying to find an educational use that does not yet exist for a technology that does. I rather think I should be trying to teach students certain curricula and, if technology helps me do that better, then I would/should use it.
Obviously, when I taught journalism, this was not the case. The need for photo sharing was already there, and Flickr and Picasa were the vehicles we used to do a better job. Trying to make our teaching practice fit the technology, rather than using technology when it helps engage the students seems to be a very backward approach. I don’t want to use technology simply because it’s cool. If I teach a course or subject that lends itself well to the technology that’s available, then I am highly in favor of engaging the student in that manner. If not, then why bother?
Rick Burd
EDU 255
0 comments:
Post a Comment