No stalling: There is nothing to be afraid of. However, this doesn’t change the fact that technology can raise some concerns among teachers and, like anything new and unfamiliar, can be a bit daunting. However, let’s verify some of the barriers placed against the use of technology.
“Students will operate the program/equipment better than me. I don’t like being incompetent/incompetent and feeling like the students know more than I do.”
Two concerns may be sewn into such a statement, which concern the teacher’s personal competence and authority among students. The assumption is that the teacher should be omniscient, infallible and be at least perfectly familiar with the current material and subject matter of the class. What’s more, possible incomplete knowledge or lack of familiarity with the materials may cause a decline in authority among students, which in turn will bring chaos, disrespect or zero assimilation of students’ knowledge. A catastrophic vision, right? And, moreover, unlikely.
Infallibility and omniscience alone is an impossible condition. We are just human beings who happen to make mistakes or not know or remember something. You can be 100% prepared for a class, and still something can go wrong. Is the teacher’s authority collapsing because of this? Don’t. Moreover, after admitting a mistake or ignorance, we can gain more respect from students or even increase that authority. Just looking for an answer to a question together or listening to a student’s opinion can be educational for the student. Current students grew up surrounded by technology, so it’s no surprise that they’re used to it and familiar with it. As teachers, we can even learn from their experiences.
“I don’t know how it works. I often have to ask my son/daughter for help.”
The problem of digital exclusion and the concerns associated with it still remain. After remote learning during the pandemics, we still can’t say they are over. While online lessons have given some educators wings, others have clipped them even more. It should also be added that studies have shown that they do not really depend on the age of the teacher.
The educator is armed with subject knowledge or classroom management skills. Sometimes, however, he lacks familiarity with a particular technology, digital materials or programs. The most important thing is to try, don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you can’t figure something out on your own. Many devices or software have tutorials in video or pdf form. And manufacturers and training centers are increasingly organizing training courses to help implement the right carrier. In time, we will acquire the necessary skills to conduct classes without restraint.
“Nice pictures and such are there, but they don’t leave much in the head.”
Much depends on the very way technology is used in the classroom. In fact, you may end up watching worthless videos, browsing the web or social networks. However, the Internet and various programs give us a multitude of options, including many educational items. Let’s remember that technology is just a tool and it’s up to us how we use it.
Digital materials can provide illustration or enrichment for the current class topic. For example, we can point to animations depicting the movement of the planets in the solar system or the process of vision in humans. However, a much better way to learn with technology is to engage students in using it through, for example, projects, educational games, searching and analyzing information found online. Active or hands-on learning is better remembered than passive learning, plus it engages students in the subject.
It should also be added that in the use of various technologies, the student learns a variety of skills that may come in handy in the future. We can include here, among others:
- digital competencies,
- familiarity with new technologies (including specific skills, such as operating a 3D printer or at least a spreadsheet),
- Finding the information you need,
- Critical, analytical thinking,
- evaluation of the information found,
- Solving problems independently or in a group.
“I’d like to use it, but I don’t know how.”
Once you break through and become familiar with a particular device or program, the question is how to incorporate it into your daily activities. There is no single answer here. Much depends on the subject matter, the type of materials, and your own preference or creativity in conducting classes. With digital materials it is the same as with any other, you need to create for yourself a suitable base of ready-made tasks or games and assign them to specific activities.
Many platforms offer ready-made materials or lesson plans for specific products on their sites. On the other hand, there are groups on social networks where teachers exchange their ideas. It is worth looking at them, because some can be out of this world.
Don’t be afraid to get started with Knowla
As Knowla, we have prepared a lot of materials for you to familiarize yourself with the Knowla Box device or to freely enter the world of the Educational Universe. Be sure to take a look at Knowl’s Tutorials and Blog section, where new articles and suggestions for games or lesson plans will appear.
Sources:
- https://www.mwi.pl/uploads/filemanager/publikacje/innowacyjne%20zastosowania.pdf
- https://www.academia.edu/46263897/Nowe_technologie_w_pracy_nauczyciela_edukacji_wczesnoszkolnej_Raport_z_badań
- https://zdalnenauczanie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZDALNA-EDUKACJA_FINAL-1.pdf (abbreviated: https://zdalnenauczanie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Badanie-zdalnenauczanie_org_prezentacja.pdf)
- https://www.cen.gda.pl/download/2019-08/150.pdf (p. 16)
