Digital learning: ready, set, type?

“The technology itself is not transformative. It’s the school, the pedagogy that is transformative.” – Tanya Byron

The quote written by Tanya Byron explains that it is not technology itself that will change education but the way in which technology is used that will change education. We are in the 21^st century where technology is changing at such a rapid pace and information is being shared faster then what it is being consumed. People struggle to understand or keep in up with each new feature and we do not feel always ready. It is like a race that it constantly moving at a pace and either you can keep up or you fall behind.

In terms of education and technology we need to understand how vital it is for information to be exchanged and that is how learning can take place.  Digital pedagogy is an attempt to use technology to change the way teaching and learning has been done. Pedagogy is not just limited to classroom teaching only, instead online teaching like the Learning Management System (LMS) was created to teach students online, but is it effective?

 

I honestly do not think so because the students are not receiving a creative ways of learning and instead of interacting, the students write down notes, watch videos and write online test. The LMS did use all the webs capabilities and limited teaching. The LMS became a place of just uploading documents and files and could not be considered as pedagogy or a class for that matter. We need to consider the best possible outcomes to ensure that LMS is effective or that teaching with technology will benefit and be more interacting.

The 21^st century education is changing whether we accept it or not, we are at a fast pace trying to keep up with the world around us. The best solution to creating proper digital pedagogy education is research. The research should include how a teacher can use pedagogy to inspire new means of education. Teachers have the future at palms reach and they have the ability to either change or stay the same. I do not think that teachers should just rely on technology to teach students, it should not become a luxury or an outcomes to make teaching easier and instead it should be used to create creative interactive learning spaces where students are taught how to use the World Wide Web.  

 

 

Digital pedagogy touchscreens vs chalkboard

The future of education changed the day technology started to change the way we did certain activities. Teachers have become afraid of the use of technology and some believe that it distracts the students and other believe it is a helpful tool. Pedagogy can be defined as the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of education and is concerned with the study and practice of what is the best way to teach. That has been a question on most people’s minds, what is the best method to teach the learners of the future?

 

Technology has provided room for a lot to change, and touchscreens, PowerPoint slides and interactive tools have allowed for creativity to advance and for teachers to make classrooms a more interactive environment. Learners are learning more about how to make use of technology wisely and how to make use of the digital world. Learners are raised in a society where technology is constantly improving or advancing, and that each person just wants the best technology. Schools should understand how important technology has become and how it should change the way leaners think or study.  

 

Paul Fyfe’s article about the digital pedagogy unplugged allowed me to understand the future of education and how teachers can make use of both a mixture of digital and non-digital tools. The teachers should change the way they think and understand that, like a chalkboard, digital technology is only a tool. I truly believe that technology has helped the world to advance and has speeded up the way we think, but is that such a horrific problem?

 

No. We have to start preparing leaners for the advanced working world that awaits them and prepare them with new skills that will be required when they have to work. Instead of doing the same type of boring classes, let’s make use of what has been given and create a space where leaners can interact and see what technology has to offer.