In addition to Education 518 (Pedagogy & Technology), I'm taking a reading course (Content Area Literacy). I'm surprised to note the extent to which what I'm learning in 518 is having such a large spillover effect on the reading course. Given the results of this latest survey* by Blackboard and the nonprofit Project Tomorrow, I probably should not be surprised. The data clearly indicate that almost 3/4 of aspiring teachers use technology such as discussion boards and chat sites. However, the spillover effect I am experiencing is more than just the perception that I'm using technology in different ways, but that I'm THINKING about it in different ways. Pretsky's framing of content and technology as verbs and nouns is helping me to consider how students can use technology to develop the skills and knowledge that will serve them well beyond their formal academic experience. I'm still not completely convinced that lectures are dead (or that we should kill them!), but I'm rapidly moving closer to the idea that they should be rare and unusual. This is a big leap forward for me and it's exciting on several levels. Most importantly right now, it reinforces for me that I'm not so entrenched in how I've always done something or always thought about something that I can't change. Very exciting.
*
Education students are using more technology in teacher training
Aspiring teachers are taking a more self-directed approach to their training, in part, because they are more comfortable with technology and more likely to use digital devices in their professional pursuits and personal lives, according to the annual Speak Up report. The findings of the survey by Blackboard and the nonprofit Project Tomorrow include that of 1,350 education students polled, 74% of aspiring teachers use discussion boards, chat sites and social networking -- compared with 50% of in-service teachers, Mike Bock writes in this blog post. Education Week/Digital Education blog (2/11)
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