'I walked into the classroom, and all my students had their laptops opened" ... what did they want me to do with the machines?'
Ever since, teachers and students in Argentine state-run schools started to receive their laptops (as part of a government social programme), the chat in the staff room seems to have changed a little. It is not about this or that troublesome student, but it is about the poor Internet connection, what to do with the machines, how kids are on their laptops and do not pay attention in class.
Now when many experienced teachers are becoming aware of learning styles and decentering in their classrooms, students seem to learn in different ways; and whatever effort teachers do to keep them on track seems not to work as they had planned.
And these teachers might be right. Marc Prensky explains that kids in the 21st century are not a different species, but they may have developed a new blend of cognitive skills. (See my presentation on his ideas here). Therefore, students can learn quite differently from the way their teachers are teaching.
Teaching styles vs learning styles results in an unfruitful combination in any learning environment. Teachers have worked to learn and identify VAK learners, or Visual/Verbal learners, or Active/Reflective (etc) learners and designed lesson plans to match their preferred learning styles in order to create more effective learning environments. However, new kinds of clash between teachers' styles and learners' styles are occuring in classrooms nowadays.
Students are recognising how they prefer to learn with the new ICT tools available to
them; and teachers are starting to learn to use them. And when they succeed adopting them, they will have to evaluate how to incorporate them in their classes. In Prensky's words, teachers are learning the language their students acquire as their mother tongue. I am certain that many teachers will adapt to the change in time to help students learn in their preferred (and prefer-to-be) style.
Cheers,
Gonzalo :-)
Hi Gonzalo,
ReplyDeleteI agree that today modern technology is a challenge to many teachers who seem to be "learning the language their students acquire as their mother tongue".
I also think this problem will last for a very long time, if not forever. There will always be students` technological superiority. But is it a (serious) problem? I dare say no. Probably because it gives stronger ties of cooperation in the teaching-learning process, when partners are fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each other, and when each really wants to learn from his partner. More trust, less arrogance, better results.
Hi Gonzalo
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about this week, it’s 9 definitely the time run fast, we are almost finishing our course, I was working all the time, I always been mixing all daily activities with our tasks, sometimes I wanted to quit the course, but I didn´t want to lose the opportunity to learn , to know people, and share experiences of our jobs.
I really like your quote at the beginning; I think that if I would have a course where one of each student has a computer, I would have felt confused, too.
Now, I think the conversation inside the area of English where I work, has also changed, the idea of introducing technology in our process of teaching English has attracted my colleagues ´attention, and we are working on it, this is a good point to be happy. I didn´t waste the time.
It is true that if we think about learning styles and multiple intelligences, we definitely have to change our process in order to be better; unfortunately the University where I work has from 40 to 80 students per class, where it is almost impossible to determine these important points.
Today children and teens have more opportunities to learn and more quickly than us because technology puts the world in their hands, breaks down barriers and puts them close to anywhere.
I agree with you when you say that there are new conflicts inside the classroom but I think it is due to teachers want to keep their style before to now our students´ ones….we need to go at the same rhythm, to learn, to use technology and develop our student´s learning styles and their intelligences.
Hi Gonzalo
ReplyDeleteYour blog posts, and the layout, keep getting better and better. The way you visually offset the quote was very effective this week. I only wonder who said it, maybe you 10 years ago? : )
Take care!
Robert
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteTeachers are facing a new challenge and they have to act upon it not to run the risk of becomeing obsolete.
The quote is actually the voice of many teachers in my staff rooms in many schools, that's why I am doing my bit to help my colleagues to incorporate ICT in their ELT classes.
Cheers,
Gonzalo :-)