Bytes on Technology

After experiencing a power outage when I got home and tried to finish school I realize how dependent we can often be on technology. In this situation I was literally unable to contact my teacher, complete my assignments, or even turn on a light for that matter. I have often joked with people who are experiencing technical difficulty that computers don't always make things easier. Sometimes computers add a different dynamic to the learning environment but they simply cause a little more anxiety because a program isn't functioning correctly or the computer freezes. I find that in the educational world technology is often outdated. This causes a huge frustration level when things don't work right. As a teacher of fourth grade I find myself at my wits end when we go to the computer lab. I take both groups I teach to the lab for a half an hour each week. While they are there they log into a program called "Techknowledge" which teaches them basic computer awareness, typing skills, and how to use different programs. This is a great idea and the students love it. Yet, sometimes in that half an hour students will spend 15 minutes just waiting for the program to load. Others have to sign in a few different times on different computers before they get one that lets them log in at all, and others have difficulty with the program freezing and are very distraught when they have to start over and lose all their points. As the teacher I find myself thinking I could teach them how to do this stuff myself in less time. The difficulty would be that in a group of 18 they each go at their own pace or struggle with different concepts. I know that I would miss some things that the program covers because I would forget that I even needed to learn them at some point. So I am left with no choice but to counsel them through their difficulties and frustrations in the lab.

On that note I bring up virtual classrooms. I picture my fourth grade students, who have little exposure to how computers work at all, trying to do school work online. I am left with a strong feeling that they are too young to succeed in such an environment. Yet, I love my online classes. I think that virtual schools are successful with a group of students who have awareness of computers, are self-motivated, and have support at home to guide them. Virtual schools mean less direct interaction between the teacher and the students. Thus the students takes on another layer of responsibility for their learning. They must be able to articulate when they are struggling with something and be willing to get remediation in a variety of ways. A students who isn't willing to do the extra steps to learn the materials will not learn anything. I think the greatest challenge for the teacher is creating a class that does not allow students to just slide by without learning the material. Online classes have less methods of evaluating. A teacher can't just walk around and visually evaluate progress. The teacher has to be creative in determining setting up activities and finding ways of evaluating that do not allow students to do the bare minimum.

So, when the computers are working and the power is available, virtual schools hold a whole new world of academic interactions. With students who are willing to learn and teachers who are willing to be creative there is a strong chance of academic success. Technical support as well as parental support will be two keys to success in such an environment. Since many communities lack both of these things much evaluation of which student to include in such a classroom must be done. I am not sure we will ever see a total shift to this environment but I am confident that even though technical difficulties occur, technology will continue to be an integral part of the learning environment.