Until
last August, many of our teachers never had used an iPad. But they are quite
growth minded and willing, and they took to it rather quickly. A giant part of
the reason is the touch screen. As one teacher explained, in many ways the
device feels like it is an extension of herself.
That
can sound rather cyborg-ian, like Kurzweil’s singularity has finally happened.
However, she meant it in a more abstract pedagogical sense. Because she was
using her hands, it felt more natural. She also could move around the room.
There was less of a barrier between her and the students. This, in turn, made the
technology less intrusive.
Here’s
the really big point. Combine the above with some of the capabilities she
discovered in some of the apps she tried. Put it all together, and she felt as
if she could now really teach with technology the way she always has wanted to
teach! The technology and the teacher were working in harmony.
That’s
what we need when it comes to technology integration. In fact, then we
really shouldn’t be talking about technology integration at all. It should just
be a natural part of what humans do as learners.
2 comments:
As a technology integration coordinator, I couldn't agree more! It should be seamless-integrating technology as a tool for teaching and learning. How wonderful that your faculty sees this as a positive direction for your community! Have a great year!
Thanks, Sarah. So far it's been a great roll-out, with many more successes than glitches. Our extensive preparation is paying off!
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