That'SLife

On the way back from METU in Ankara I got to thinking more about the attitude some teachers have towards technology, their insistence that it doesn’t bring anything valuable to the classroom, that their learners don’t want to use it, that it’s a waste of valuable class time, that research just doesn’t point to any reason to use it. In short, about all the excuses that those who don’t use technology in their classrooms bring to bear on those of us who do.

I’ve been trying to break all this down for myself as I lie in bed at night, trying to see where it all comes from and where it’s leading. Elsewhere on this blog I’ve thrown out a few minor thoughts on the subject (see the flurry of May postings for more) but I’m still not sure I have a proper handle on where it’s all heading. So I’m going to look at some of these major issues here…

Let’s start with learners – because plenty of these non-tech teachers will quite rightly suggest that they are the most important people in the classroom, the reason we’re there. They’ll talk about respecting their needs (they may even carry out ‘needs analysis’ before a course in certain contexts), about catering to their wishes and desires, about respecting them as individuals and as people. This is, clearly, a sane approach to the people we’re dealing with. Yet, at the same time, they’ll completely ignore some of their needs by not engaging with technology in the learning process. And why?

“I asked my learners and they don’t want to use technology” – I’m paraphrasing what I read on a discussion list last week. And my answer would be ‘no’, I’m sure they don’t want to use technology in the way you pitched it. You sold it badly, you sold it without enthusiasm, you offered it weakly, pathetically and without interest or commitment.

Or you used it badly before – they don’t want to use it in the way you use it. Remember that class you did when you asked them to ‘go and look up something interesting on the Internet and share it with everyone else‘? Or the one where everyone opened a webpage, read a text and answered some questions? Of course they don’t want to use it if you’re using it like someone from 1950…

They want to use it as they usually use it – they want to talk to people, to share their knowledge, to produce things: videos, blogs, podcasts. They want to contribute to wikis, and make slideshows with music and voiceovers, they want to manipulate digital images and work with their iPods, they want to tweet… In short they want to do creative things with technology – the things that you don’t have the imagination to dream up, or to implement.

“It’s a waste of valuable class time” – another popular meme from the group. Well yes, it is if they’re sitting behind monitors and reading. But what about all those learners who are using technology to communicate in English with people around the world? What about the valuable skills they’re gaining: communication skills, computer skills, cultural knowledge… Why do you deny them all that with your old-style ‘let’s have a chat about what we did at the weekend and see what language comes out of it‘ approach?

What of people like Tim Rylands, whose use of the graphical adventure game Myst in primary schools in the UK has had a noticeable effect on literacy rates, and who receives fantastic messages from young people thanking him for teaching their teacher how to make lessons fun, thanking him for inspiring them to ‘not stop writing‘? What of him – is he wasting valuable class time with his increased motivation, and his amazing exam results (way better than other local schools and higher than national averages)?

And what of the research? Well, we all know that for every bit of research that concludes X, there are an equal number of papers that prove Y. So whilst I have no desire to get involved in a “Yes, but I think you’ll find Gentral et al showed quite conclusively that..” discussion, here’s some information for you:

“A report from the European parliament concluded yesterday that computer games are good for children and teach them essential life skills – “video games can stimulate learning of facts and skills such as strategic thinking, creativity, cooperation and innovative thinking, which are important skills in the information society.“

Or perhaps this:

“Results from the most extensive U.S. study on teens and their use of digital media show that America’s youth are developing important social and technical skills online (…) “we found that spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age.“

So yes, you see – they are getting valuable skills. Imagine how much more valuable that could be to them if their teachers also helped them see the overall educational value of technology, teaching them to become tech-savvy as well as tech-comfy… You could be playing a part in that if you weren’t so negative.

So sure, come back at me with the study that shows that IWBs have no noticeable effect on motivation (as if that was ever the claim by all of us) – but I will counter that neither does chalk – because, you see, it’s a tool to be used, and used by good, bad, creative, dull, interested and disinterested teachers. It won’t make any silk purses…

And, shock horror, apparently IWBs also don’t have any impact on examination results. But guess what, neither do chairs, or pens… What’s your point?

So where are we, then? You have your reasons, and I’ve just looked at some of them. But these are the reasons you voice. What about the ones you don’t?

Your fear of technology is understandable. The world is changing quickly and you don’t know how to react – so you lash out. But help is at hand, you can reach that comfort level easily by engaging with online communities such as the Webheads, by doing a course or two (not a course in how to use PowerPoint, but a course in how to use PowerPoint effectively in the class, because there’s a world of difference, you know). Talk to others, ask them what they do with technology in their classrooms, observe some classes, maybe read a book or two on the subject. It really is no big deal.

In fact it’s such a small deal for a lot of us, and so integrated into our classroom activities that we don’t talk of CALL or TELL anymore, we just get on with it and do it on a regular and principled basis. We sometimes refer to PALL (Pen Assisted Language Learning) but we’re only having a laugh with you, honest!

So there are a few suggestions to get rid of the fear of technology. What about the fear of losing control, of your learners knowing more than you? Well, thing is, they already do! So why not use that knowledge. You talk of learners having an investment in the class, well – here’s a big one: let them take charge of the tech side, and you just do what you do well, and that’s teach. They can reboot, install, fix and debug – and you, in turn, can guide them towards good and fruitful uses of the technology they know so well.

And the fear of not being the ‘sage‘. Well look, sorry to have to tell you this, but you’re not the sage anymore. Because after they leave your class they go online and get the opinions of lots of other sages and they compare them with yours… and they sift the data, and they evaluate it and they reach conclusions that you can only dream of. Because you don’t see them doing it in your classrooms. So open the doors, let it in – see who they talk to, you might be surprised. And while you’re at it, guide them towards the ability to cast a critical eye over their sources. It will be a valuable skill for them in later life.

And your fear of simply just ‘not being able to do it‘? Go and observe some classes, see how teachers are doing it, talk to them and find out how they’ve managed to inspire their learners to produce so much language over this academic year. Again, you may be surprised. So take yourself back in time to when you were learning to be a teacher, and learn to be a teacher with technology. You use it in your ‘personal‘ professional life, so now it’s time to find out how to use it in your ‘professional‘ professional life. Do your learners a favour – show real interest in their hopes, desires and wishes. You may learn to enjoy it.

Here’s my hope – that all the time and energy you put into dissing technology, into writing it off as useless or unproductive – that someday, just for a little while, you might put equal amounts of energy into learning about how good creative teachers are using it, and trying it out yourself.

Then – and only then – will I sit down and listen to your arguments for and against technology. Because then they will be based on practical research, practical application and regular considered use. And they will be your opinions, based on your own observation and practice, and not the last ‘technology is the new devil’ article or blog post you spent two hours searching for.