It’s Still An Issue

Lauren B — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:07:55 +0000

It seems we are at a crossroads, so thinks Patricia Deubel in her article Crossroads in Education: Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software and Digital Tools. Educators have developed their approaches to teaching and learning, defining the what and how that is presented to students and modes of assessment, both of which have generally been effective. However, these approaches are now being challenged by the advancements we have seen in technology and the opportunities to enhance learning that this reveals for teachers and students. This article raises the usual issues surrounding the incorporation of technology into the curriculum – It’s collaborative and creative, it gains students’ attention and motivates them, and, of course, what about our students’ security? Yet this article goes beyond these, questioning (for the first time that I’ve read) the longevity of using “free and open source products” with the possibility of these disappearing at any time and little or no contactable support becoming another issue that need to be considered. But if free source products are too risky to rely on, what does it mean for schools that don’t have the funds to cover the cost of new technology? Daanen and Facer (2007) in Deubel’s article, reminds us of the great digital divide, commenting on the fairness of education, if ‘intelligence is enhanced and developed’ using tools that need to be bought. I do support the incorporation of technology into schools as I am aware of the benefits that it provides, although I can’t imagine how schools with little funding could afford to purchase such technology if they are currently unable to provide basic equipment for teaching and learning.

Pencils, Paper and Podcasts. » digital divide

It’s Still An Issue