and caused us to deeply question our pedagogical practices and principles:
1. The candle
Reading was suddenly possible all the way through the night.
This was followed by the light bulb and the florescent tube.
Eyestrain created eyeglasses.
2. The scroll
These aren't in historical time reference order, by the way.
Recording text which could be stored and shared.
This was followed by the mind-blowing concept of paper.
3. The fountain pen
Preceded by the quill, followed by the biro.
Not dirtying our fingers every time we wrote a sentence was a breakthrough, indeed, shame about their environmental impact.
Actually shame about the environmental impact of all these technologies.
4. The blackboard and chalk
Granting our teacher vanities with the power of erase.
Followed by, more recently, the whiteboard and markers... bringing colour to education (and therefore losing quality because learning is a serious business).
5. The typewriter
Uniformity! Clarity!
Carbon copies!
Followed by computers and photocopiers.
6. Scissors. And not pictured: Glue
Like I said, not in historical order.
Cutting.
Pasting.
The things we could make to teach!
7. Calculators.
Now these really did cause a furor.
An uproar.
Completely responsible for the atrophied working brain, the demise of intelligence and the loss of math forever as times-tables disappeared.
8. Tape recorders.
Fast forward and going backwards.
Record and play back.
Playing texts again and again and again meant our learners no longer had any need to pay attention.
By the time these were followed by the Walkman and CD player, all was lost.
What else changed teaching?
What is changing the way we teach today and tomorrow?
Are we really forgetting to pay attention to how our students learn?
Are we stumbling blindly, right alongside life, getting lost in bells and whistles?
Hmmmmmmmm...
Best,
Karenne
Useful links related to this posting:
1. The candleReading was suddenly possible all the way through the night.
This was followed by the light bulb and the florescent tube.
Eyestrain created eyeglasses.
2. The scrollThese aren't in historical time reference order, by the way.
Recording text which could be stored and shared.
This was followed by the mind-blowing concept of paper.
3. The fountain penPreceded by the quill, followed by the biro.
Not dirtying our fingers every time we wrote a sentence was a breakthrough, indeed, shame about their environmental impact.
Actually shame about the environmental impact of all these technologies.
4. The blackboard and chalkGranting our teacher vanities with the power of erase.
Followed by, more recently, the whiteboard and markers... bringing colour to education (and therefore losing quality because learning is a serious business).
5. The typewriterUniformity! Clarity!
Carbon copies!
Followed by computers and photocopiers.
6. Scissors. And not pictured: GlueLike I said, not in historical order.
Cutting.
Pasting.
The things we could make to teach!
7. Calculators.
Now these really did cause a furor.
An uproar.
Completely responsible for the atrophied working brain, the demise of intelligence and the loss of math forever as times-tables disappeared.
8. Tape recorders.Fast forward and going backwards.
Record and play back.
Playing texts again and again and again meant our learners no longer had any need to pay attention.
By the time these were followed by the Walkman and CD player, all was lost.
What else changed teaching?
'cause you know, like, obviously, the list above isn't comprehensive...
Do you know the pedagogical principles behind the use of each item as applied to education?
I most certainly hope you do.
Were you worried about your methodology, whenever you pressed that green button on a photocopier?
Well, really.
Tsk. Tsk.
You know, if you like me are of a certain age and you just (shock!) used these things as mere tools to get from A-2-B in whatever it was you were teaching, then by golly, you couldn't possibly have been effective.
Winging it, you were.
Do you know the pedagogical principles behind the use of each item as applied to education?
I most certainly hope you do.
Were you worried about your methodology, whenever you pressed that green button on a photocopier?
Well, really.
Tsk. Tsk.
You know, if you like me are of a certain age and you just (shock!) used these things as mere tools to get from A-2-B in whatever it was you were teaching, then by golly, you couldn't possibly have been effective.
Winging it, you were.
What is changing the way we teach today and tomorrow?
Are we really forgetting to pay attention to how our students learn?
Are we stumbling blindly, right alongside life, getting lost in bells and whistles?
Hmmmmmmmm...
Best,
Karenne
Useful links related to this posting:
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