This week we have learned about twitter and how we as teachers can use it as a teaching aid in our classrooms. We also created twiiter accounts. Furthermore, I learned about how rapidly technology changes. It was fun sitting in a cirle discussing about our opinions regarding technology and how we understood the article that was posted in D2L about teachnolgy as a transformer or replica of the traditional method of teaching. What interested me most was the fact that many of us are technophobic which is something to look at from a different angle.
Using Computers is a challenge for South African high school students!
I teach FET College students, who have almost not understanding of what a computer is and how it should be used. Many of my students argue that they were never taught about computers at school. They claimed that they only got exposed to the world of computers when they reached College level. I wonder how will such students make it in a fast changing environment, where computers have become the order of the day? I think teachers need to take a hard look at themselves, and make necessary effort to effect change in the lives of many students who, one way or another need to know what a computer is and how to operate. Learning online is also a growing phenomena and many students need to know what a computer is and how to operate it. CHANGE CHANGE
I think a lot of the fears that people have, including me, is that technology is thought of as this big complex term that is built upon thousands of circuits and that it's impossible to comprehend. Clearly, that is not the case. Even the most techno-phobic of us could send a tweet via a phone or computer. Something like that does not involve the understanding of dozens of steps, as James clearly pointed out.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed learning about the wiki. I think it'll be ineresting to see how our final project turns out. I hope there will be enough room to host it. I remember Esther saying that there is not always enough room on these things.
I can also be technophobic, especially if I have to use the technology right away for class. But, I like what Dr. Smidt said that it is okay not to know everything. We can learn and learn, and not know how to use the most popular technology out there. I avoided twitter until tonight. I was not sure how to use it. Then, I had fun exploring in class with everyone. It shows us learning new technology can be fun, not scary.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't call yourself technophobic, as it is a self-limiting term and kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Part of all of this is having confidence in yourself, and that means using positive language that defines your CALL experience instead of language that defines (and confines) you as someone who can't learn CALL. Does that make sense at all?
ReplyDeleteTechnophobe? Who, me? NEVER!
ReplyDeleteCALL... the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the grad course ENG 634. Its semester-long mission: to explore strange new computer software; to seek out new classroom activities and new websites; to boldly go where no teacher has gone before.
I don't think anyone in the class is technophobic! Everyone came to the class on the first night with their login information and with the ability to get into D2L. Even those small things would be scary for a technophobe. I have seen all of the students in class ready to "jump into" the new technology tool described or presented in class. It seems to me that we are all quite open to technology or we probably wouldn't have taken this class.
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