lost in technology
I'm completing this course for my school and can't help but think that all this busy work just guarantees tech careers and cuts down on the time that we interact with students.
I am uncomfortable with technology, but struggling to catch up, as my students will be required to master medical software programs when they become Medical Assistants. I want them to have all the tools they need to succeed, and that includes technology. -Jeanne
Hi Barbara,
You have a life time of experience to bring to the classroom and by calling on your students for assistance concerning things technical you are helping to bring a blend between different generations.
Gary
I agree as I have to frequently ask my students how to do something technical and I feel it takes away from my level of experience and expertise in my subject. I teach college level students and I am older than their parents, so they are amazed I didn't grow up in the computer age. But they are usually happy to help.
Hi All,
As an instructor of K-adult learners, I think we get lost in technology too often. I think this is because there is such a push to use the "newest or latest" technologies in our classrooms, without considering the actual value that the technology adds to our student learning. I believe that as instructors, we need to remember that technology is just a tool that can aid learning, but should not be the main focus. To me, this means that we need to use technology when it will aid the students to take ownership of their knowledge and help them expand that knowledge.
Hi all,
I think John is sharing his frustration that the value added to an experience or task is not always proportional to the amount of change required to adopt a new process or technology. With the ever increasing rate of change, it can appear that change is occurring for change's sake rather than adding real and needed value.
As a business operations professional, I can say that I understand the origin of this frustration. Companies selling technology push their interpretation of value and it is incumbent upon the potential customer or consumer to ensure that they are pursuing worthwhile technological change. That said, new technologies have broadened the opportunities for many on a global level. In very real sense, online education can be the embodiment of that fact.
The bottom line...hang in there...find technologies that work for you...provide meaningful feedback to technology providers when they do not add value. Leverage the communities built by technology to keep the tide rolling in your favor.
Hi John,
Wondering if you could expand on your comments about "all this busy work just guarantees tech careers and cuts down on the time we interact with students."? Thanks.
Gary
The world is constantly evolving with new technology being developed at an amazing rate, and this is the same world that new people are entering, so the importance of continuing education should always remain clear.
I think that all of the lost part has to taken into perspective. Remember when dry erase boards took over for chalkboards?
We should all remember that every year the new becomes old and soon obsolete.
I for one am going to learn what I can, going from one on one instruction to pre set programs of instruction is a big enough jump for me.
I am slow to pick up on some technology, but I have come to see it as a useful tool. Don't let yourself get lost without someone to help light the way out of the darkness.
GOOD LUCK to us all!!!
Whenever I take a class, I am reminded how the students must feel when they are required to do what they must think is busy work, and how they have to balance their school work with their personal and professional lives. It is also helpful to see how other online platforms work or don't work.
