How Information Technology (i.e., computers, Internet) Can Be Integrated into the Instructional Process and Curriculum.The reason why I brought up my silent protesting is because when it comes to the topic of integrating technology in the curriculum, I have observed that most people haven't a clue. Not only are they clueless to how this can be done effectively, but they also aren't very familiar with the technology already out there. For most educators technology is PowerPoint and graphing calculators, both of which are either discouraged or over rated. I chose this topic to write on because I am confident that most of the people who read it will have almost no idea what I am talking about. And I even go as far as to criticize these very people for what I perceive to be inhibiting real change.
Most people would probably tell me to do whatever I have to do to get a job first and then you can be provocative but that just isn't my style. I like to challenge authority and fight institutionalized behavior. If these silent protest keep me from getting a job at a particular place then I didn't want to be there anyway. Here is my essay.
We have quickly entered into a new era of information technology, and the new generation of young people growing up in this era encounter and process information in a very different way than previous generations. For a few years this cultural schism has been known as the digital divide. To me, this represents a fundamental difference in the vehicle by which information is transferred to an individual. It was not long ago when children were essentially isolated from the outside world with most information being filtered by their parents. This new world in which we live, with information literally at one’s finger tips, completely opens this outside world to just about everyone. Instead of small amounts of filtered information, there is virtually an unlimited amount of completely unfiltered information. To some, this drastic change represents the complete degradation of society. But there are those of us who wish to embrace this information beast and who are trying to tame its chaotic nature in order to create new educational methods that will not only prepare our young people for this quickly changing world but also to begin to realize some of the ideals that education once believed in.
The new era of Web 2.0 offers assorted online applications to enhance the traditional style curriculum. Using these applications, students could practice and hone their skills in a new and possibly more creative way. One of the most important skills that educators can help foster in young people is that of information analysis. It is a shame that many institutions are going as far as banning resources such as Wikipedia for not being as "scholarly" or "reliable" as other sources. It is true that the internet has virtually unlimited amounts of information (both good and bad), but we as educators should be prepared to develop strategies and methods to make sure that students learn how to sift through the mounds of information. By only giving them "reliable" sources, we are missing a golden opportunity for genuine education. This new digital age may help students think critically while using different information resources within different mediums. Any tool designed to assist in this process should not be immediately reprobated.
Wikipedia is also one of many community based resources that represents a cooperative model of creative innovation that progressive curriculums strive to develop. MySpace, YouTube and blogs are all examples of opportunities educators have to create real and meaningful learning communities dedicated to creative and critical thinking. Superficially, these resources allow students to finally have a voice and an outlet to demonstrate their individuality and then even receive feedback from peers. At a deeper level, these new technologies provide a foundation for inventive people to collaborate and recreate (not reform) education from the bottom up.
Access to information is only half the battle when trying to understand the digital divide. After individuals access information, they need to have outlets to disseminate their perspective to others. We now have the technologies to do this quickly, efficiently, and over different mediums. Whether through video, audio, or text, Web 2.0 offers many free and easily accessible applications to disseminate our own personal perspectives. It is becoming easier for teachers to share their experiences of different teaching methods and reflect on why they may have worked or why they may not have worked. They can even upload and share resources used in their classrooms. However, many educators that are on the far side of the digital divide criticize these new modes of communication. They place blame on either the technology or the user for abusing what they believe to be the accepted social conventions of communication. This inhibits any possible innovation in education if an entire institution holds the same perspective. If we can find educators who ask how these new technologies can enhance education, rather than who assert how they hinder them, then we can start to see genuine evolution in education. Imagine digitally connected classrooms in which students collaborate with their peers from other schools whether across town or across an ocean, students and teachers alike sharing their perspectives and working online with others, giving and receiving feedback. Technology, at its core, is about opportunity – opportunity to change and to create tools to help us shape a better world. What could be more appropriate for education?
