Pedagogy vs Technology

Teaching

or

Technology

The Preiser Project, Flickr CC

Technology can easily overwhelm even the experienced teacher, and poor implimentation of tech can make lessons worse. Which should be at the forefront of the technologically concious teacher, then? Should we abandon tranditional pedagogies in favour of connecting our students with the technological world? Should we abandon tech all together?

Which should come first: Pedagogy or Technology?

Pedagogy Ignorant Tech

The imbalance

Tech Ignorant Pedagogy

Spectacle Substance

+ Accessibility

+ Lack of relevence

+Student Confusion

"Beat School Painting" by theirhistory is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Mike Licht (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9106303@N05/5225049493

+ new teacher perspective

Balance through symbiosis

Starting with a strong pedagogical foundation and then allowing available technology (as well as the students in the room) to influence and guide your planning and classroom experiences will give you the best of both worlds.

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Pedagogically focused tech use tips

Engage beyond simple use of tech: underscore critical thinking through digital choices, privacy, social and environmental contexts, and risks. Use the classroom as a place to practise these skills with relevent technologies.

Connective and adaptive technologies can connect us across geography, lanaguage, and abillity, but a lot of tech can also impress hidden curricula in line with colonial and capitalistic attitudes (Aikenhead 2006).

Pay attention to what your tech isn't saying

Mike Licht (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9106303@N05/5225049493

Tech literacy

Equitable Access

Gamify

Take advtangage of the spectacle of technology and use to gamify to increase engagement where possible

Centre UDL in choice of technology - use to remove barriers and provide opportunities

John Hain on pixabay.com

Evelyn DomitrukEDUB 3000 Teacher & Technology - Fall 2024

Technology in the curriculum (MB)

Unless otherwise shown all images from Genially.com

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Student confusion

Technology use with complete disregard for pedagogy is a surefire way to disengage your students because of confusion, taking valuable classtime away from working with the technology. Students do not just organically understand commonly used platforms and "basic" technology use (Word processors, file organization, search enginges), and without proper implimentation student learning can be negatively impacted by novel technologies (Adam, 2021).

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Have you ever been working on a project and stubled across an image/idea/style that you decide just has to be included despite possibly requiring a shift in looks/focus for the rest of your project? How often does it make the product better? In classrooms we can fall into the trap of novel and enganging programs that can actually make learning harder.

tech use without pedagogical reflection is empty engagment

Technology can provide context to learning, and can be incredibly effective in giving students access to a variety of contexts with which to transform their understanding. However, when you place spectacle over substance, technology can also limit a student's ability to abstract lessons from it - they can't see the forest for the trees.

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a completely analog and old school method of teaching misses out on the accessibility benefits of modern tech

Classrooms are increasingly desegregated - which can be to everyone's benefit! Being aware and on top of current trends in adaptive technology (think screen readers/recorders, translation possibilities, communication boards, real-time subtitles) makes sure you, as an educator, are well prepared to meet every student and family member with support.

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As a pre-service teacher, the major feeling going into the profession is overwhelm. With so much to learn, spending too much time throwing novel tech at your students without having a solid pedagogical base creates more problems than I will have time to deal with. At a time when I should be experimenting with pedagogical styles, I should be focusing on usign technology to aid that endeavour, and not try to stretch my not-as-of-yet solid pedagogical foundation to fit whatever neat program sparks my interest.

Persepective of a preservice teacher: Putting pedagogy first, at least for the first few years

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in an increasingly technological world...

Tech literacy, to a certain extent, has become necessary. Many employers expect an ability to work with computers (word processors, email servers, file management). Many appliances require network setup. Much of our social lives have moved online.That online space is now encorperated into most aspects of the human experience, from relationships to business. Interfacing with technology, online or in person, is a major skill that is not intuitive. It must be taught and explored.

only YOU can help develop technological literacy

More on Student Relevence

A key ingredient here is making the technology relevant to the lives and interests of your student body - while hyper scientific lab equipment is cool, it may not be the best choice for your class. Consider the following questions:

• How much transferable skill is it offering?
• If it's something novel, what basis will your students have to interact with that kind of technology in the future?
• Is there another program or system you could use for the same learning experience that your students are already familiar with?