Chapter 11 is focused on the shift from traditional reading, writing, and communicating to online and visual learning and what impact the increase of new technologies has had. Page 118 states, "A new way of communicating is rapidly emerging, one that incorporates visual components along with words to convey messages more effectively for people operating in the fast-paced, time-starved modern personal and professional environment" (Jukes, McCain, and Crockett, 2010). The question is, do you agree or disagree with the push for more online and visual learning? Is traditional reading still important? Page 123 states, "What we are saying is that a new medium like the World Wide Web should be used as the primary method for communication at least part of the time in the classroom" (Jukes, McCain, and Crockett, 2010). What are your thoughts in regards to the idea that teachers should focus more time on "principles of visual image construction" (pg. 124), instead of more traditional reading and ways of communicating information?
I do feel that we need to use more online and visual learning. Most of the students today are visual learners. They like to actually see what they are learning. However, I would not say that we need to get rid of traditional learning all together. There is something so great about reading through a book and getting to the last page. I could also think that because I grew up in a time that used traditional reading for everything.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that teachers need to focus more of image construction. With technology being so prominent in their lives today, if we take those things away in the classroom they will have a hard time doing their job. They have grown up with technology and that is where their comfort zone is. We should not take those things away.
Jukes mentions in chapter 12 that the process is more important than the content. You hit the nail on the head Nicole. If students can just "Google" the state capitals, why do they have to memorize them? At my district one of my fellow math teachers is retiring that has been in our building for 26 years. We were discussing yesterday that when Math Sequence III was around, no calculators were allowed to be used. We had to look up what sines, cosines, logs and exponential functions were in the back of the book. Something that is content driven that we no longer need because of the technology of a calculator. Personally, content based skills are important because people need to be somewhat well read, but the level of necessity is decreasing.
ReplyDeleteBeing a visual learner, I know that images help me understand. I know on campus many faculty are more in-tune with written and lecture based assignments. Stephanie, you raise some great questions. I would like to add: how can differentiate instruction and teaching to different learning styles meet the needs of the common core requirements?
ReplyDeleteI think that there should be a mix of the two concepts. There should be more use of the internet incorporated in classrooms, but we should not turn completely away from traditional reading. I know for me it would have been helpful if my history teacher would have shown some pictures to help me visualize what he was talking about in class instead of just lecturing through the material and having us read our textbooks. Having a more visual approach to learning is important to the students of today so we should be more willing to incorporate more “visual images” into their classes so they can better teach to all of their students.
ReplyDeleteAs a math teacher I don’t have my students do a lot of reading in my classes but there is a need for visuals in the classroom and so using the internet to find visuals is something that I have done in my classes.
I think there needs to be a balance between online/visual learning and traditional learning. Teachers need to find ways to integrate technology into their instruction in order to break up the monotony of every day instruction and to excite and engage students about learning. On the other hand, teachers need to provide students with opportunities to work in groups, collaborate with each other, and learn from one another. There needs to be opportunities to engage in real conversations/debates as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there needs to be a balance between online/visual learning and traditional learning. Even though in this digital generation there is such a push for technology use in the classroom, I believe that there is still some value in traditional teaching. Today’s students need to be engaged and they need to learn the necessary skills that will help them be successful in the world they are going to be entering, so technology does play an important role in learning those skills. However, I think too much focus one way or the other, digital or traditional, will not allow students the maximum potential for learning. The text says, “the world of communication has gone visual,” so preparing students to have these skills that will allow them to be successful in this digital and visual world is important (Jukes, McCain, and Crockett, 2010). However, I still think there needs to be a balance.
DeleteI agree with the quote. I think that visuals are great to work with all students. I tend to visuals all of the time for my students because as language learners they need tons of visuals to reinforce their learning. Reading is still important I think that it can be integrated into the visual learning. You basically hit the other learning styles by integrating the reading and visuals. I found this article that I thought the stress of importance. http://letsgetengaged.wikispaces.com/file/view/htvisuals.pdf/50306637/htvisuals.pdf Basically most people (about 50%) learn best with visuals and hearing, along with reading it can be very beneficial for students. The article is a little dated with power point stuff but I think it can be adapted to the creation of Smart Lessons.
ReplyDeleteI think that you pose a very important question Matt. I think that technology both enhances the skills that we are already taught and we learn new skills by interacting with technology. Technology enhances the skills that we are already taught because we can then use technology to demonstrate what we are already being taught in a more engaging and creative way. We also learn new skills by interacting with technology because there are always new sources of technology and media being produced that we can learn about. We can then use those new skills to teach our students about course material as well as teach them how to use the technologies we use in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteMatt I love this question because I never thought about it before. I think that it would depend on the ways one is using the technology. For example if a student is putting together a research paper then they are using skills they already have such as reading and taking notes. But I also think that students might be learning new skills at the same time like how to determine a reliable source. Without technology students wouldn't have to worry about non reliable sources nearly as much as they do now. These skills that they are learning from technology are not only about technology but life skills as well as seen in this example.
ReplyDeleteGood points Amy. What changes do you think are happening to students due to being used to "rapid fire" information?
ReplyDeleteNicole, that is a good question you raise about implementing both traditional learning and digital learning in our classrooms. I have been thinking about that since we started this class. What I have been thinking about doing is to try to start off my lessons with some sort of digital/hands on real life activity or a video/music video that goes along with what the students will be learning in class that day so they will have some knowledge of what they will be leaning in class; or start the class off with a quick lesson then have the students work in groups collaboratively on hands on projects that can incorporate technology as well as manipulatives.
ReplyDeleteI think that students, and kiddos in general, are used to being entertained. They are used to a multitude of information and pictures being presented all at one time. As parents, I think that we need to balance the technology that our children are able to access with imaginative and creative play. Sometimes I feel that kids can be overexposed to the "raid fire" information and therefore lose the ability to think creatively and independently problem solve. While technology is pertinent to the world today and is essential to work force preparation, they still need to foster their potential to critically and independently unpack social and academic situations.
ReplyDelete