I’m sitting in a leadership institute in Burlington, Vermont. There are principals, directors of technology, integrationists, superintendents, and school board members here. Bernie Dodge is here, just in from South Africa — and I do not envy how he must be feeling right now. Also, Jim Moulton is here from Maine. I haven’t had a chance to talk with him yet.
But I’ve finally taken a minute to read through the article (No More School as Council Opens ‘Learning Centers’) that Will Richardson referenced yesterday, where the Knowsley School Council in the UK plans to close its high schools. My immediate reaction concerns my daughter, who will be starting her senior year at Western Carolina University’s School of Education. Wanting to be a history teacher, she has taken a bunch of history courses. She’s had a little education and no education technology that I know of. But my question is, “What would she do in a learning center?”
My question is, “How can it be possible in 2007 that students are graduating from education faculties without taking courses in education technology?”
I suspect that your daughter would be able to make up the ground not covered at college and become a successful mentor and facilitator at a learning centre. It’s a colossal shame that college hasn’t helped lay a strong foundation in education technology.
I’m convinced that the greatest obstacle to moving forward is that schools at all levels continue to be staffed and run by people who have strong traditional academic skills. It is good to see that there are people in places like Knowsley who are making major efforts to break through the log jam.
Paul,
I had the same thoughts – about the lack of technology instruction in this day and age. And also that she could be part of a new role as a facilitator.
It continues to amaze me that education colleges are graduating students with no to minimal technology integration. This is especially problematic for our students with special needs who are entitled to assistive technology consideration as part of IDEA ’97. Paul, you and I know that AT doesn’t have to be expensive as we have devoted many of our blog posts to free resources that are readily available.
So, David, my question back to you is, “What is she going to do with no educational technology experience?”
Paul & Karen raise interesting issues regarding teacher education and the lack of technological integration. My greater concern is that David’s daughter probably didn’t read any Dewey or Piaget or Kozol or Holt or Postman or Rousseau or Papert or Meier or Ravitch or “Reggio Emilia” or Kohl either. There may have been brief mentions of some of these folks in survey texts, but I wonder whether she ever engaged in the great ideas of her soon-to-be profession.
As for educational technology in teacher education, the universities have learned their lesson well. Abdicate your responsibility for another generation and the Federal government will reward with you with something akin to the recent PT3 grants.
I don’t have much hope for the educational technology aspect of teacher preparation since the field itself is what Papert called, “idea adverse.” Grab 20 randomly selected EdTech texts for teacher education and you’re not likely to find Papert’s 40 year contribution to the field even mentioned. It’s not that they raise concerns about his theories and research, which is legitimate. These texts ignore 40 years of work by Dr. Papert and countless disciplies in favor of 10 fabulous web sites or 6 blogging tips or “which gradebook program should I use?” A superficial knowledge of simple computer techniques won’t contribute much to the profession either.
A solid grounding in learning theory, policy , pedagogy and the best principles of a liberal arts education prepares educators to use any new technology that comes their way. An Intro to Educational Technology course where they memorize that the cassette drive is part of the computer, does nothing.
A direct answer to Karen’s question is that without the knowledge of the theories, work and sacrifice of the giants who came before, a new graduate will be best suited to “deliver”t the curriculum in a compliant fashion.
Hmmm — Gary —
isn’t “David’s daughter probably didn’t read any Dewey or Piaget or Kozol or Holt or Postman or Rousseau or Papert or Meier or Ravitch or “Reggio Emilia†or Kohl either” an assumption on your part?? I bet she is more well read than that —
My concern is I am seeing what is being taught on the high education level for pre-teachers — and it is NOT the use of technology (it is just software programs (sorry but I don’t think the Shelly Cashman Series teaches integration) and I think (in my humble opinion) she would be much better off figuring out her “technology” ideas on her own — or by attending CUE, TappedIn, etc.
Enjoy your time, David.
Jennifer
I’m afraid that I have to agree with Gary here. That, too, is my concern. I was made to read and discuss many of the edu-philosophers that he mentioned (well Papert didn’t come until graduate school). I read them because I was in middle school education, and we were taught to teachers — not very well in my case, but education was what it was about.
I may be unfair for me to have an opinion, because I do not have ready access to her transcript, but I suspect that she is being taught to be an expert on history, so that she can provide “robust” instruction for her students. Content is king, in high school, and that’s one of the things that I am beginning to question.
But point well made, Jen. I think that my daughter would gain a lot by attending some great ed tech conferences.
Jennifer,
First of all, I am using “David’s daughter,” as a metaphor representing young preservice educators. I don’t even know if David has a daughter.
Of COURSE I made assumptions based on professional experience. Teacher education has become increasingly vocational in nature (there is plenty of blame to go around).
However, since I find very few practicing educators who have actually read (not skimmed, not looked up on Wikipedia, not read in survey book), but LIVED with the ideas of the masters, my assumption is based on lots of experience.
Perhaps David can send us the reading list for his daughter’s teacher-ed program.
So, if a teacher is better off figuring out this technology stuff on her own, then how come so little figuring out is taking place? Why is it that a quarter century after microcomputers started entering schools that we still need to bribe, cajole, coerce, threaten, trick, incentivize teachers to use modern material.
If your Laisse-faire theory is true, can we vow to never again discuss the need for “more professional development” in this forum or elsewhere?
You did not of course address my point about idea adversion and the fact that edtech programs are relatively idea-free zones. How do you explain that edtech texts erase Seymour Papert and his colleagues from the history of educational technology?
Gary
I have to let you know that the position is the same in my local university in NZ. I was invited to give a workshop for 3rd year education students and most of them hadn’t even heard of wikipedia let alone Web2 tools! The sad thing is the Ministry here is forking out lots of money to upskill classroom teachers in effective learning and teaching with technology, when it doesn’t seem to be a part of teacher training. Why not produce the teachers we want rather than fixing them once they start teaching?
I was at the tail end of the teacher education era that required elementary teachers to spend a couple of months learning to play the piano and where we were taught to make math manipulatives (thereby also understanding their function) and puppets out of Pop-Tart boxes.
When I suggest that these were worthy aspects of any teacher’s education, my current students’ heads explode.
Jane’s posting raises an interesting point.
I too have encountered classroom teachers who have never heard of eBay, Amazon or Wikipedia. How can such willfull ignorance be permitted? These are the folks who are supposed to model learning for youngsters?
This is not the result of a shortage of PD. It is a deliberate desire to learn nothing. Obviously such people do not read the newspaper or watch television. What DO they do to remain intellectually active and part of contemporary society?
David,
You need not be afraid to agree with me 🙂
On the other hand, be afraid. Be very afraid.
Too many teachers teach the way they were taught – both in high school and in college. Sit in a desk that in a very straight row. Listen to a lecture and take notes. Raise your hand when you want to ask a question. Read the chapter in the textbook. Complete the worksheet neatly and on time. Don’t collaborate with other students as that would be cheating. Take the test to show the content has been mastered. Move on to the next topic and begin all over again.
Until universities begin to have the discussion about what it means to be literate today and how technology can support student learning and achievement, we’re in for more of the same. Until school districts give teachers a greater voice in professonal development and time to collaborate with each other to explore the tools available to them, wer’e in for more of the same. Teachers passively waiting for someone to show them how to start a wiki or use a blog or create a podcast.
I talk about these things regularly with my colleagues. Too often they look at these new tools as something separate from the curriculum – as an “in addtion to” what they are doing rather than an “instead of” what they are doing. They’re waiting for someone to show them and teach them. It goes right back to seeing themselves as passive learning. Some days, my frustration level is very high.
David,
You ask “what will your daughter do in a learning center?, but isn’t the question of all educators still, “what’s the passion that you bring to your subject, and how will you engage students?”
If she’s not ready to answer that question then let’s return to the fact that we want all teachers to be learners first, teachers second and ask your daughter what she’d like to learn more about. I’m sure with a few good links to museums and historical sites she’ll be off in a world where she can truly learn more and then think about the tools that worked well.
While she’s at it, let’s find a team and do all of that collaboratively.
When I taught a preservice course at College of Notre Dame in Belmont, CA I created a course called media, myth and metaphor. It dealt with technology as a tool for creative personal expression and every student learned to program.
Where are these courses today?
All the points have been very well stated. As an elementary teacher and technology integrator I have had student teachers for as long as I can remember and it infuriates me that they step into my classroom, take one look at the smartboard and say “cool, I have never seen anything like that…” Even in Elementary schools when we are supposed to be differentiating preservice teachers are not taught to use tech tools to collect data, and use data to differentiate. They all use myspace and facebook (and most of them have seen kids use webkinz and club penguin) and don’t see the tremendous power these tools can have in engaging the kids they are teaching. If anything they take a technology elective and learn to make powerpoints for their Open House presentation. Edutopia had an interesting article recently about what kids want..laptops, bluetooth, cell phones, video cameras…I don’t doubt that given the opportunity to create relevant learning experiences for themselves, they would. Think of the inquiry in elementary kids when they have the opportunity to really explore something hands on. Curt, I think many teachers teach as they have been taught because they were the kids that were good at “playing school” when they were in school. However, I don’t think we can look at this and say until…until the Universities begin to have the discussions, until the teachers learn the skills themselves, until their is a tech literacy curriculum in place, until….this is a systemic problem and at somepoint in time it has to change. I think the thing that would impact the success is the amount of collaboration time, professional development that is given to the teachers. Would your daughter get a job in a learning center…would she keep the job…? If she was willing to be a lifelong learner herself, no doubt she would. As a lifelong learner myself, I LOVE the idea of learning centers and will surely be keeping close tabs. Thanks for another thought provoking discussion.
Here is my take. I am a high school history teacher. I’m going into my 9th year of teaching so I still remember my teacher education but have spent enough time in my craft to know what works and what does not (to some degree). Dewey or Piaget and the others are the last thing a new teacher should worry about. Important, sure but not relevant to first year teachers. Theory goes out the window the first time you see 20 young faces looking to you and saying, “now what”. Content, while not the end all and be all in high school history, is the first and most crucial piece of the puzzle. That is what all else is built upon. There is a real lack of practical teaching methods. Nothing can replace classroom experience in preparing teachers. Technology education works best after a new teacher has had time to become more comfortable with running a classroom. Dave, tell your daughter to find someone who has been teaching for a long time but still loves their work and pick their brain for practical ideas. Cheers!
Excellent points all around but I want to pick up on something Gary said,
So, if a teacher is better off figuring out this technology stuff on her own, then how come so little figuring out is taking place? Why is it that a quarter century after microcomputers started entering schools that we still need to bribe, cajole, coerce, threaten, trick, incentivize teachers to use modern material?
Good question! As someone who came to education through the health care field, I was surprised that teachers appeared to be quite passive about professional development and seeking opportunities for professional growth. I worked at a teaching hospital which is an incredibly stimulating environment and read every professional journal I could get my hands on. Teachers seemed to be content with the knowledge that they had and didn’t often attempt to pursue learning unless it was mandated or paid for. It still surprises me that this is a pretty pervasive attitude.
Great discussion! A couple of thoughts… First, I tend to agree with Ben. So much professional development is more useful once the teacher is in the classroom. But, can we model better? What if those who are preparing teachers for service actually USED the “new†tools in their courses? A class on Web 2.0 won’t be nearly as impactful as a “traditional†course in which new tools were used. Let’s model, not just tell our pre-service teachers what to do with this new world of instructional technolgy.
Second, as Karen mentioned, I do see resistance to learning new things in many teachers. This has become my new mantra: Being a life-long learner is no longer a lifestyle choice; it’s a survival skill.