I found the reading The
Media Debate to be quite interesting. Even though the debators had very
different views on media and technology, I feel they both had valid points. Whereas
I can relate to the point that Richard Clark made about media and technology
being “mere vehicles”. I do believe that they are vehicles, but that vehicle does
in fact drive (and influence) student motivation, student interests, and
various levels of instructional capabilities. So in this case, I am leaning more towards Robert
Kozma’s theory. Kozma points out that there are many capabilities that make up
the total media or technology program. These capabilities are what encompass
the overall influence of student achievement.
Technology is a tool that supports learning. Kozma poses the
question: “How does media affect learning?”. I believe that through the capability
tools that Kozma lists, various levels of instruction may be embedded into
technology and used for the purposes of learning, tutoring and guidance.
Through these capabilities comes student achievement. However, the method in
which the technology is used requires real world instructional support from
teachers. Teachers decide how to implement technology in the classroom setting
to optimize the student’s success.
The Media Debate took
place in the 90’s. Through the years, many things have changed within technology.
Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. I believe that in today’s
society, it is apparent that technology influences student achievement. More
educational programs are being created with every success story. Educators are
even honing in on the educational benefits of social media. Students all have
different ways of learning. Although I don’t believe that learning should be
100% technology based, some students learn more from it than they would by
sitting all day in a classroom, listening to lectures. There should be a healthy balance.
Technology offers the capabilities of experiencing hands-on (virtual)
learning, auditory learning, gaming to learn, networking, etc. The possibilities
are many and technology today helps to motivate students, captivate their
attention and help them to learn concepts on individual levels.
References
Hi Valerie,
ReplyDeleteWe share a similar pattern of thinking and reflection on the power of media and technology to capture the interests of students within this generation. Like you, I made the observation that this argument began nearly 22 years ago - long before society was inundated with technology the way it is today.
I would be very interested to sit in on an exchange between these two men today to discover if they still fall as firmly on one side of the argument or the other as they once did.
Good work!
-Johtell
Nicely put!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteValerie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Kozma,does ask an important question how can technology be used to affect learning for students, tasks and situations? By reflecting on its use will improve teaching and learning. Technology is a way to engage and enhance learning. I also agree that it shouldn't be 100% of the learning process. It does offer ways to differentiate for students based on learning styles, academic needs and interests. I enjoyed reading your post.
;0) Jill
Like you, I think learning should not be 100% technology based, but there are so many benefits to student achievement through the use of technology.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is not going away. Don't forget that Socrates was leery of writing (!) because he thought it would erode people's memory ability. If we can incorporate what works best for each child, we are doing what's best for them.
ReplyDelete