eLearning .....? I've had E-Nough!!

This is my version of the whole episode of e-learning .. specifically the LEARNING part and what the 'e' is all about ..

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Sunday, February 3, 2008
Technology .. definition of ..
Let's start the ball rolling with the definition of technology. This would normally be my first question in my presentation .. we need to get our premise and framework accurate and aligned ... not a skewed perception or one based one what is told to you.

Naturally, I have to authenticate the definition, otherwise you won't believe a word I say. So you can find the definition on the Internet in the usual way, by searching for technology (1,2). Yeh, yeh .. people will go about that it is from greek origin bla, bla, bla .. you can check out the given links.. but you have to go beyond the definition and operationalise it ..

This is the definition that I put up:

TECHNOLOGY is defined as tools, processes, material resources and creative human intelligence applied to the solution of a practical problem

So, next time you want to consider using a technology, test if you can satisfy this definition. We may have the tools, yes ... we do.. , the computer, say .. Then we have the usual processes of setting up and configuration .. we can do that, no problemo ..

Next we need the materials resources .. let' s consider this as the content in a broader sense and this is followed by creative human intelligence .. means how clever we are at utilising that tool .. unless we expect the tool to be cleverer than us .. and believe me, this happens ..

Puhleees, the computer ain't gonna be able to do anything more than you tell it to do .. you can stare at it and it stare at you until the end of time .. and nothing, nothing will happen ..

Finally we need that wonderful tool in the hands of the expert to attack a certain problem .. so that we can solve that problem using that tool. Wonderful!! .. but what is the problem? What is the problem you so eagerly desire to solve when you decided to use that particular tool??

In education, we call it educational technology, which basically means we are using a certain multimedia tool to tackle a problem in the teaching and learning process so that we can enhance the teaching and learning process. Comprende??

I do not have the answer for you .. you have it it you own hands .. why did you want to use the particular educational tool and what is problem you are trying to solve. If you have a concrete rationale, then you have got the appropriate application of that tool .. otherwise ..

This is what happens when I ask teachers on why they want the students to surf the Internet .. the answer is always the same .. to get information .. I will not go any further as to the course of the conversation.

You see, we haven't even maximised the blackboard .. and I can prove it to you .. people always say that classroom teaching is boring .. but I beg to differ .. we made it as such .. why is there only 1 (one) blackboard in the classroom?

Can we have more than one, say 2 or even 3? Can we apply collaborative as well as cooperative learning in the classroom? Can we do group work? Too time consuming? Why not plan for it .. everything has to be planned anyway .. plan to make it interesting .. just look at the photo below ...


What do you see? Three boards, three groups and three different designs on the boards!! Wow .. and this is just using the blackboard .. how about coloured chalks? .. wont' it be colourful and pretty ..? We can even say, minimum technology, maximum activity/efficiency ... sometimes we have maximum technology and minimum activity ... think about it ..

I am going to move away from classroom teaching, but not before I put up something I found a long time ago .. and I cannot find the reference for it now .. I take no credit for it .. and if you know where it came from, let me know. It is entitled as 50 ways to lecture .. see how many have you employed in your classroom teaching .. and who said all you had to do was dictate your notes or ask the students to copy from the board .. or worst still, the teacher is the only one talks .. and this is even true at tertiary level ... no kidding ..


yeehaaaa ....

posted by Rozhan @ 2/03/2008 09:54:00 AM  
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