Over the years I have enjoyed trying new technology in my teaching but always with the goal of enhancing or making more effective my teaching. I want my current students to learn even more and learn it even more thoroughly than any previous group of students. Technology is only a tool towards my goal of enhanced learning. With this in mind, I have used various types of technology with different classes.
For example, last year when I taught a college freshmen course, at Bridgewater College, that is designed to acquaint the student with reading, thinking and writing at a college level, I used online quizzes, in class assignments on computers (at my request we met in a computerized classroom), online forums to which students could respond to on their own time, PowerPoint presentations I put together, web-site projection including video and audio files, group constructed PowerPoint presentations and, at times, online chat during class.
However, in my physics courses at Bridgewater College I am much more centered on using chalk on the blackboard. I do use Moodle as a repository for syllabi, assigning problems for homework and sharing last year's exams and my written answers to them. The reason is that I want maximum interaction between the students and myself and among the students as we attempt to work sample problems on the blackboard. That means we begin them as students suggest (whether it is the correct rout or not) and that we take the analytical routes chosen by the students when there may be several ways to solve a problem. While not much electronic technology is used in class, my presentations are far from canned and involve student input at a significant level. And I hope the students learn more by being very involved with applying what they have learned to a new situation.
With all of this in mind, I read with much interest an article whose link I was sent earlier this week. The article is in the technology section of “The Chronicle of Higher Education.”
| http://chronicle.com/article/A-Tech-Happy-Professor-Reboots/130741/?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en |
It seemed to resonate with where I am on teaching and technology, and I share it for your thought and discussion. In summary, I am very supportive of using technology but only as it enhances learning in my classes
--©2012, Richard L. Bowman