Karen Lirenman – Personal Response
Today we had Vancouver based educator Karen Lirenman speak to our Education 431 class regarding the use of technology in the classroom and while we have had several speakers deal with this topic in Educational Technology, this presentation was different.
Karen broke down her views on the use of technology in an educational context into 4 points which I really appreciated. Her points were as follows: 1) technology allows access for all learners, 2) using technology properly allows students to show their work in a way that works best for them, 3) technology allows mistakes to be easily fixed, and 4) technology allows learners to connect with the world around them.
So why are these 4 points important? I believe that technology can be a powerful tool when used correctly, at the same time students need to be given a chance to understand what the technology that they are using can do so that they do not use it in inappropriate ways. I love that technology opens the chances for students to express their learning in new and different ways, giving them the opportunity to let their own creative voice come through. The fact that technology allows for ‘fixing’ mistakes is a huge thing; it allows students to experiment and try out new things and ways of expressing learning without feeling like they are stuck in a box. The students can test out new media and determine what fits best for them. The fact that technology changes the world is significant. Students are exposed to a very different world than the one that many of their teachers were students in. Teachers can use the technology that is available to their students to help their students not only understand how different forms of technology works, but more importantly how to be safe when using technology. The teacher can demonstrate online safety for their students by the way that they interact with others when they are online.
Moving forward, I want to be careful and aware of the way that I use technology in my classroom, because while I do believe there is a place for technology, I also want to give my students the chance to be ‘unplugged’ while in my classroom.