For most teachers, use of ICT causes either fright or frenzy! There are those who view it like this: “we are digital immigrants, or even digital aliens; how are we supposed to teach digital natives? Just think of the digital divide: our students have evolved into a different species with different aims and aspirations! Most part of their lives is spent in blogging, chatting, texting, tweeting, multitasking whereas we’re simply illiterates in these!” The argument goes something like this: “how can we teach them, if we can’t even reach them?” Portrayed this way, it sure causes digital fright, a phobia!
On the other hand, there are those who are addicted to technology and overexcited about its benefits in teaching! They are far ahead of their students and think teaching would be impossible without Web-skills! They consider it a panacea, a magical wand that’d swing and the whole class of learners would become competent in English overnight! They are swept off their feet by alluring tides of technology. They like to pile up most powerful tools and get buried under it! They are maniacs!
How can we strike a balance between these two extremes? Well, by adopting a third perspective. We must not think of our learners as a member of a different species! They are human beings as much as we are! They have emotions same as ours! They apply the learning strategies similar to our own! They are changed, not transformed! For a few differences between the digital natives and us, we can find hundreds of similarities.
We should also rethink of the dreaded word “technology”! Is it something that we’ve never used in teaching? Or is it a continuation of blackboard, chalk, slate, paper, cassette player, OHP, TV and other such technologies? No doubt, ICT is much more powerful than many of the technologies I’ve mentioned. But why kill a rat with a missile? As teachers we don’t need to have a mastery over every single technology that pops up each day. We need to keep abreast of the latest technologies; find out the ones that are useful for our purposes; and use them wisely to achieve maximum positive results! The lesson I’ve learned is this: let’s behave normally and take this change sensibly and that’s only possible if we are clear in our objectives and our teaching strategies are determined by our target, and not by the tools out there!
Muhammad Rashid
Hello Rashid,
ReplyDeleteYou won't believe but I have written a very long comment but it is gone, with just a sudden click I don't know how. Anywayi I will try to summarize what I have written before. I definitely agree with what you have written above. trying to employ all the latest technologies seems to be a continuation of the norms of consumerism as well. If there is something new we need to reach for it, grasp it and consume it. In fact, balance is needed in every aspect of our lives, including our teaching methods. And I don't think our digital-native are impressed by every modern technology we are using in our classes because they already find it natural and usual. It is us -digital immigrant- find what we are doing something amazing as we are adapting ourselves to this digital world and it is a real achievement for us, soemthing to proud about. Hope I am making myself clear.
What the students admire most is ,I think, is to see a teacher who has full command of what s/he is doing even if there is no trace of technology in it.
I sent my above comment in a hurry fearing that I might lose that comment too and also because of the severe weather conditions here, our internet connection is a bit weak.It goes on and off. I couldn't edit it.
ReplyDeleteHi Sebnem!
ReplyDeleteI can understand how frustrating it can be if your comment disappears, especially if it's a long one!
Next time copy paste your comment somewhere just in case.
But the summary you wrote is clear enough! I'm encouraged to find that you agree with me.
Regards,
Muhammad Rashid
Hi Rashid,
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy reading your writing. Mostly your style of writing. No wonder you being a poet these flow of words come naturally to you.
After reading about Digital Natives, Digital Immigrant by Marc Prensky and the part II of Do they Really Think Differently, I myself got bit worried. As we face all new students day by day, now I think of them as Digital Natives. After reading both the above articles, I was bit worried whether this is one of the major reasons why this generation is not motivated in learning the language well. In fact that was the main reason why I had selected the Web Skills course other than the rest. I believed, in exposing the Digital Natives to a thing they like to get involved in, I could arouse their liking towards learning the language.
I'm not a technology maniac who believes solely on technology but nothing else, but personally I would like to go for new trends as there are very many user friendly ways of achieving the targets.
But I don’t have the patience you’ve got in reacting to new technology. I try to go there first. Don’t know whether I’m rushing through to grab it. I think I’m very inquisitive over the mechanism how it works and love to know what we could do with it in our classes. Simply how to use the new technology to bridge the digital divide up to some level. As you rightly said, we should not be slaves of technology but should be able to manipulate it to get the best benefits to our students. Following the middle path is the best for anything.
Chandy
Hello Rashid,
ReplyDeleteI agreed with Chandy when she mentions that your writing style is very interesting, very provocative for discussion.
I see your point when you said that technology might just be an extension of what we have been doing so far in teaching. However, the changes are so fast it is sometimes overwhelming to try to keep up with them.
That is the reason why, I believe, there exist this huge gap between my students and me, when I finally manage something new or innovative they are trying new stuff and again feel that I have to rush again to follow.
I understand the process, this is the time they were born but if I want to reach them somehow, I believe I have to (at least) be informed of what they are doing and find a breach to follow hahahahahahaha.
Letty
Hi Rashid,
ReplyDeleteI like the talk you have initiated. Most of the teachers if they were not taught to be tech friendly are negative to tech innovations in teaching. I remember well enough 1997 when I returned from my first TEA exchange trip to the USA, Delaware University. I was astonished how much difference makes technology, I-net in opening new horizons for the teachers and their students. But when I started to talk to my colleagues about the necessity to learn this new tool and use I-net for searching to make teachers’ life easier, I was misapprehended and my suggestions were ignored by most. Those who got interested found it hard to spend time on learning new technology. The most successful are learning with their students and from their students. I hope I am among them.