INTRODUCTION
Emerging technologies such as computers, digital projectors, interactive white boards, the Internet, etc are usually studied and assessed in terms of their potential to facilitate learning. Researchers regularly measure the effects of new technologies on learning practices that have endured since learning has been institutionalized through the creation of schools. Some scholars suggest that technologies need to be evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in relation to their costs: “Media and their attributes have important influences on the cost or speed of learning but only the use of adequate instructional methods will influence learning” (Clark, 1994, p. 28).
While we agree with Clark that sound instructional methods are essentials, we believe that some technologies have the potential to transform the way we learn. In fact, we believe that technology can enhance our ability to make sense of the world around us. In the same way that the combustion engines and hydraulic technologies have enhanced our ability to displace heavy loads and transport them over long distances, information technologies can enhance our ability to access, process, and produce information in order to help us understand and adapt to new realities. Looking back in history, the invention of writing, with its related technologies such as writing devices, paper, etc, had a tremendous impact on the way human acquired and transferred knowledge. We believe that the advent of the Internet and computing technologies can afford us a unprecedented leap in the way we construct and share knowledge. These new affordances brought on by new technologies are at the heart of our argument in favour of embracing technology in education. Kozma (1994, p.8) suggests that "the effects of media technology on learning must take into account the mechanisms by which the characteristics of media might interact with and influence the cognitive and social processes by which knowledge is constructed". In the 20 years since Kozma made that suggestion, the development of digital media technology has grown exponentially and his suggestion is more pertinent than ever. The same sentiment is echoed by Ray Kurzweil (2005) when he said that:
“Information technologies double their capacity, price performance, bandwidth, every year.” and “It will be a tremendous expansion of human intelligence through this direct merger with our technology, which in some sense we're doing already. We routinely do intellectual feats that would be impossible without our technology”.
To take advantage of technology in education, we need to rethink the way we conceptualize knowledge.
Connectivism, an emerging theory of knowledge, considers the merging of technology in the learning process by presenting ”a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity” (Siemens, 2005). Because the world changes at an ever increasing speed, we must adapt the way we learn. The new learning paradigm of Connectivism “is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital” (Siemens, 2005).
The term “21st century learning” has been used to a large degree to herald pedagogical change in elementary and secondary classrooms everywhere. This approach is grounded in constructivist, student-centered, and situated learning opportunities. In other words, meaningful learning has to be connected to students' reality, and students live in a world where technology is ubiquitous. Despite the buzz around “21st century learning,” technological and pedagogical changes seem to happen slowly in educational institutions. Our goal with this website is to bring forward areas of integration that meet resistance and prevent the necessary change to adapt to the 21st Century.
While we agree with Clark that sound instructional methods are essentials, we believe that some technologies have the potential to transform the way we learn. In fact, we believe that technology can enhance our ability to make sense of the world around us. In the same way that the combustion engines and hydraulic technologies have enhanced our ability to displace heavy loads and transport them over long distances, information technologies can enhance our ability to access, process, and produce information in order to help us understand and adapt to new realities. Looking back in history, the invention of writing, with its related technologies such as writing devices, paper, etc, had a tremendous impact on the way human acquired and transferred knowledge. We believe that the advent of the Internet and computing technologies can afford us a unprecedented leap in the way we construct and share knowledge. These new affordances brought on by new technologies are at the heart of our argument in favour of embracing technology in education. Kozma (1994, p.8) suggests that "the effects of media technology on learning must take into account the mechanisms by which the characteristics of media might interact with and influence the cognitive and social processes by which knowledge is constructed". In the 20 years since Kozma made that suggestion, the development of digital media technology has grown exponentially and his suggestion is more pertinent than ever. The same sentiment is echoed by Ray Kurzweil (2005) when he said that:
“Information technologies double their capacity, price performance, bandwidth, every year.” and “It will be a tremendous expansion of human intelligence through this direct merger with our technology, which in some sense we're doing already. We routinely do intellectual feats that would be impossible without our technology”.
To take advantage of technology in education, we need to rethink the way we conceptualize knowledge.
Connectivism, an emerging theory of knowledge, considers the merging of technology in the learning process by presenting ”a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity” (Siemens, 2005). Because the world changes at an ever increasing speed, we must adapt the way we learn. The new learning paradigm of Connectivism “is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital” (Siemens, 2005).
The term “21st century learning” has been used to a large degree to herald pedagogical change in elementary and secondary classrooms everywhere. This approach is grounded in constructivist, student-centered, and situated learning opportunities. In other words, meaningful learning has to be connected to students' reality, and students live in a world where technology is ubiquitous. Despite the buzz around “21st century learning,” technological and pedagogical changes seem to happen slowly in educational institutions. Our goal with this website is to bring forward areas of integration that meet resistance and prevent the necessary change to adapt to the 21st Century.
A METAPHOR AND VISUAL REPRESENTATION
Part of the process of investigating how to best approach the integration of school wide technology necessitated a visual representation of what we believe to be the necessary building blocks for such an endeavor. We believe that the four core areas of teacher beliefs, curriculum, professional development and administration or management leadership need to be addressed if school wide technology integration is to be realized. Our visual representation of a four- legged table supports our belief that equal attention needs to be given to each of these components; like the four legs of a strong and stable table, each of these components needs to be addressed in order to support the top, or main focus, which is technology integration. Much like a table, if one leg is weaker, uneven or compromised, the table- top can become unbalanced, crooked and ineffective. Therefore,this website is an extension of our table metaphor. Each “leg” (teacher beliefs, curriculum, professional development andmanagement) is further explored in order to understand how they can equally support the “top” goal, which is whole school technology integration.
Presented by: Quentin, Brian, Grant, Marianne, & Sylvain - ETEC 532