In our last installment of 638, it was all about technology. Fittingly, we met in the Brandon Center at the School of Education. The space has a very tech-friendly, collaborative feel about it, and its layout and technology options (interactive whiteboards, etc.) offered a conducive environment for thinking about technology in school libraries.
It was interesting to hear about new ideas for using technology in the classroom, and I appreciated the discussion around how it is sometimes used as a sort of crutch in lesson plans. This was exemplified in the Glogster examples shown in class. The first example, especially, seemed like a weak attempt at integrating web 2.0 tools with meaningful educational content. Even the juxtaposition of the formatting and the content itself seemed off. The graphics looked fun and contemporary, but the cultural references from the book are a bit more serious. Of course, learning to use Glogster and other technology tools is important for students, but it is equally important that students understand that the "showy-ness" of these tools doesn't replace the need for real, inquiry-based learning and synthesis. As a last point about technology, I especially enjoyed the ideas for including the Raspberry Pi in classrooms for learning. If I were a student, I would be excited about the opportunity to learn more about how computers works and how to program--actually, I am still excited about this, even now! This could be a great device for under-resourced schools to bolster their technology programs, e.g. rural schools with limited computing tools and lack of professional technology support.
Finally, we discussed some of the logistics for the MAME conference, which is coming up in a few days. I am excited to hear from the presenters, especially Jill & Meggan's SCVNGR talk/activity, which I am pretty unfamiliar with at this point.
I agree that we need to make sure students don't feel like "showyness" is the take away from a project. It's so important for them to understand that it is just icing on the cake (unless you're one of those people who feel there should be more icing and less cake...).
ReplyDeleteAgree about the power and potential of low-cost Raspberry Pis to close some of the access gap for children. So many possibilities!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that a great space? I wish we had someplace like that at North Quad. But, we need to make sure that furniture and flashy stuff doesn't usurp learning. It's a fine line between making it a space that people want to come to and making it a space that promotes quality learning.
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