Technology Use in Education Bruce E. Pohlmann, Ph.D. Sekolah Buin Batu, Sumbawa

Reasons to Use Technology The World is Flat: Students need to be globally competitive. Technology can level the playing field. We need to teach for the future not the past We need to meet students where they are, not where we are Studies have shown that children today are wired differently than adults – they learn in different ways We need to engage students not bore them School should be student centered not teacher centered

The World is Flat: Students need to be globally competitive. Technology can level the playing field.

We need to teach for the future not the past

We need to meet students where they are, not where we are

Studies have shown that children today are wired differently than adults – they learn in different ways

We need to engage students not bore them

School should be student centered not teacher centered

Sugata Mitra Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology, is well known for his work in Cognitive Science, Information Science and Educational Technology. This talk is about his work with the Hole-in-the-wall experiment. The Hole-in-the-wall experiment started in 1999. Mitra and his colleagues traveled around India placing a computer and a touch pad in a hole in a wall. The computer either had high-speed internet access or stacks of CDs that could be inserted into the computer. Mitra left the computer alone and just let things happen. The areas that picked for the experiment were either remote physically, i.e. rural areas, or remote socially and economically, i.e. slums. One of the things that that the experiment want to discover was the effect that educational technology has on children. Mitra argues that educational technology has more impact on students that are performing at the bottom of the scale than for students who are at the top of the scale. That is, the top students show only small gains whereas the students at the bottom of the scale show much greater gains. Mitra said he was looking for an idea of what an alternative primary education might look like. What happened was that children came up to what many of them saw as a television and began to play with it. The kids taught each other how to use the computer and how to surf. As most of the content on the internet is in English, the children began learning English so that they could use the computer. This language learning was a communal activity and extended beyond the immediate venue of the hole-in-the-wall to the use of English in other situations as well. So what are some implications of the hole-in-the-wall experiment? • Education does not have to be a teacher-centered activity. • Children can and will teach and learn from each other. • If children are allowed to express their innate curiosity, they can organize themselves into learning groups.

Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology, is well known for his work in Cognitive Science, Information Science and Educational Technology. This talk is about his work with the Hole-in-the-wall experiment.

The Hole-in-the-wall experiment started in 1999. Mitra and his colleagues traveled around India placing a computer and a touch pad in a hole in a wall. The computer either had high-speed internet access or stacks of CDs that could be inserted into the computer. Mitra left the computer alone and just let things happen.

The areas that picked for the experiment were either remote physically, i.e. rural areas, or remote socially and economically, i.e. slums. One of the things that that the experiment want to discover was the effect that educational technology has on children.

Mitra argues that educational technology has more impact on students that are performing at the bottom of the scale than for students who are at the top of the scale. That is, the top students show only small gains whereas the students at the bottom of the scale show much greater gains. Mitra said he was looking for an idea of what an alternative primary education might look like.

What happened was that children came up to what many of them saw as a television and began to play with it. The kids taught each other how to use the computer and how to surf. As most of the content on the internet is in English, the children began learning English so that they could use the computer. This language learning was a communal activity and extended beyond the immediate venue of the hole-in-the-wall to the use of English in other situations as well.

So what are some implications of the hole-in-the-wall experiment? • Education does not have to be a teacher-centered activity. • Children can and will teach and learn from each other. • If children are allowed to express their innate curiosity, they can organize themselves into learning groups.

Problems with using technology Limited English speakers have difficulty accessing information School infrastructure is insufficient for needs Software is outdated or insufficient Teachers are not adequately trained Too long to create lessons due to unfamiliarity with software and hardware Hardware problems

Limited English speakers have difficulty accessing information

School infrastructure is insufficient for needs

Software is outdated or insufficient

Teachers are not adequately trained

Too long to create lessons due to unfamiliarity with software and hardware

Hardware problems

Favorite Applications Twitter Delicious – Bookmarks to make searching easier RSS Webpages - many applications available. I like Dreamweaver Blogs Podcasts PowerPoint Word Flash Photoshop Google Reader

Twitter

Delicious – Bookmarks to make searching easier

RSS

Webpages - many applications available. I like Dreamweaver

Blogs

Podcasts

PowerPoint

Word

Flash

Photoshop

Google Reader

Examples of Technology Use in the Classroom Webpages as an alternate to written reports. Photoshop can be used in all subject areas for a variety of ways including Yearbooks , posters, graphics for websites and written reports. Flash is used across the Internet for movies, cartoons, advertisements, and many other things. Digital Portfolios Blogs

Webpages as an alternate to written reports.

Photoshop can be used in all subject areas for a variety of ways including Yearbooks , posters, graphics for websites and written reports.

Flash is used across the Internet for movies, cartoons, advertisements, and many other things.

Digital Portfolios

Blogs

Examples of Technology Use in the Classroom Movies can have many different uses. They can: convey information to parents about school activities give students an audience for their work be used as a form of assessment by teachers and students give students practice in public speaking Be used to communicate with students from other school

Movies can have many different uses. They can:

convey information to parents about school activities

give students an audience for their work

be used as a form of assessment by teachers and students

give students practice in public speaking

Be used to communicate with students from other school

Podcasting Podcasting is the creation of an audio presentation that can be uploaded to the internet. Podcasts can also be broadcast at the school like a radio program. An excellent free program is Audacity. Many international schools use this program.

Podcasting is the creation of an audio presentation that can be uploaded to the internet.

Podcasts can also be broadcast at the school like a radio program.

An excellent free program is Audacity. Many international schools use this program.

Links International Society for Technology in Education The Educational Technology Site: ICT in Education The Partnership for 21 st Century Skills ICT in Education The Thinking Stick

International Society for Technology in Education

The Educational Technology Site: ICT in Education

The Partnership for 21 st Century Skills

ICT in Education

The Thinking Stick