Dreaming... and Education

Dan Gillmor comments on a conversation with Gov. Angus King of Maine regarding technology and education.  King emphasized that its not about technology its about education (an emphasis that should be more clearly stated).  Instead of teachers lecturing, its about teachers on the side helping kids learn. PopTech, Day One [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

I have listened to a lot of criticism and praise for technology and its impact on education.  In a too simplistic statement, criticism focuses on the fear that technology reduces education to a one size fits all, rather than adapting to each student’s needs.  But, when you consider the present educational model of production (based on the assembly line model adopted in the early 20^th century), you see that we have been using a “one size fits all model” for too long. [I am ignoring the Herculean efforts some teachers expend to give individual instruction, but for sake of argument, I oversimplify].

That model has been for the teacher to stand in front of the class, lecture, give assignments, grade papers, and continue down a pre-determined curriculum path.  Our adoption of that technology has been to emulate that model (a typical re-paving of the cowpath).  But the true promise of technology in education is the potential to individualize the instructional approach.

For instance, instead of every teacher delivering the same curriculum points in their individual lecture, suppose that teacher drew upon a lecture from an archive of “best lectures” or cut and paste from a number of lectures and demonstrations.  Interspersed with these archived lectures are exercises, quizzes, whatever tool will help the teacher understand how well each student is grasping the concepts.  Students use the tablet pcs or hand held pcs to respond to the quizzes, or to electronically raise their hands to ask a question.  The teacher can respond to that individual or individuals and if he/she notes a pattern stop the class to clarify a point.  The teacher then makes a note, linked to the material presented, which appears in a klog available to other teachers in her peer group.  Those notes pertaining to individual student performances will be simultaneously linked to the student files and become part of the analysis of that student’s needs and progress.

Feedback for both the teacher and the student is instantaneous.  Peer groups can discuss at a later time points which can be perfect before delivering that material again.  Parents can observe in asynchronous fashion how their child is learning.

Oh yea, the grading takes place automatically.  Instead of marking papers and recording in a book, the teacher is reviewing individual notes.  And, looking for other archived material which may avoid the problems found today.

A pipe dream?  Maybe.  But, if it lets teachers teach, why not dream?

11:01:18 AM