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As new teachers we're often encourage to use technology as much as we can with that being said...
Do you think often lessons could be taught without integrating technology, and integrating more hands on activities?
what are your thoughts, and why?
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Working at a school that is one-to-one with technology, there are many pros and cons. There are some great simualtions online that allows studens to see interations on a molecular level for instance, and this can be really benefial. However, I find that students get really bored and disinterested on always using technology. A lot of them really, really enjoy doing hands-on activites. Technology can be great, but I think it needs to be used in moderation. It can also be a major distraction to some students, so that is another thing to keep in mind.
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Hi Maria!
I am also a new teacher interviewing for teaching positions and that is a definitely a hot topic! I think it is important to remember there are great ways to implement technology to enhance a lesson, but I am careful to not make a lesson fit into a specific piece of technology. Technology is there to help, but it is not the center of our teaching and pedagogy. There are wonderful times for both technology and hands on activities!
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Hello Maria,
Great question!
I'm going to copy and paste what I said in a similar question:
'Not all lessons require technology. As with anything, a teacher has to assess the best methods of how to teach a lesson and should not shoehorn technology – or anything else – into that lesson without thought or purpose. I agree that our lessons should be authentic and allow students the freedom to explore hands-on without resorting to pre-made data or simulations. It is not the technology that is so important but how you use it. You have to judge what is better for your students’ learning.
Having said that, we have to remember that a thermometer is technology. So are cameras, sensors, meters, and so forth. I would argue that technology is more than just computers, are very hands-on and should be utilized as much as possible. What is more authentic: spending inordinate amounts of time hand-drawing graphs or charts of lab data; or using a spreadsheet to generate clean information and identify trends quickly? Should students draw pictures or take photographs and videos? There are excellent apps that allow students to share ideas and communicate their understanding. Cell phones have become incredible tools for science.'
As John Dewey said, 'If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.'
Hope this helps!
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Hi Maria -- I've been involved in educational technology since the mid 1980s! And it sounds like we're still having the conversation about using technology 'as much as we can.' I may be old-fashioned, but I'd rather see teachers use a variety of techniques and strategies (including hands-on, writing, creating, problem-solving, information-finding, technology apps) appropriately. For example, a teacher once asked me about a computer simulation for assembling simple electric circuits. In my experience, I would start with students actually building a circuit with real materials, watching the light bulb go off both in the circuit and in their minds! The simulation would be useful for further exploring and varying the assembly. Likewise, simulations are essential if the investigation cannot be done safely in a classroom or if the materials for hands-on are not available. Technology apps for writing, sketching, photos, calculating, and creating multimedia are no longer 'extras' in 2020 and should be part of every student's toolbox as age-appropriate. Just some thoughts... Mary B
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The school district I student teach at had about 2 weeks of horrible connectivity issues. This meant that any activities we had planned to use technology with could no longer be done. It really helped me learn to create lessons that could easily be transferred to pen and paper. Technology is a wonderful tool but even for our schools, there are difficulties such as lack of wifi or even quality electronics.
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Sure they can! I am of the opinion that technology is good, but I much prefer hands-on activities. I like having my students pair or group together and working. Social interactions are good because they are able to discuss the activity they are doing and ask each other questions. My school is not privileged to have a classroom set of computers for each teacher, so it is not realistic to do something on computers every day. Most times, teachers are on a hunt to borrow computers from someone who isn't using them.
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I am a student teacher that was placed in a STEM school that technology was highly encouraged in all lessons. The students were given an iPad for school use and it was encouraged to do many activities through the iPad. I think that technology use and hands-on activities are equally important and using both is beneficial to the student. We are in a world that is technology-based and constantly evolving.
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Hello Maria.
The use of technology could be very useful for the purpose of instruction. I believe that many teachers have developed some sort of dependency on things such as powerpoints and have shifted their methods of engaging students. The approaches one as a teacher should attempt to make should be according to the needs of their students and how they react to these learning approaches. There are many schools that are poorly funded so connectivity issues may arise as the teacher is trying to teach the lesson in question. Teachers must always be prepared for the unexpected and have back-up lessons that cover the topic and add to the students knowledge.
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