Summary:
Svinicki & McKeachie's (2014) chapter 17 focus on the relevance of instructors incorporating technology in teaching to enhance students’ learning. They discuss how technology can enhance instruction and assessment for instructors and at same time promote active learning with less stress on effort, space, and location when used appropriately through the use of effective pedagogy. Their discussion also suggest strategies teachers can use to make careful planning that factors in the components (students [considering students’ learning styles, technological experiences/skill level, their expectations as well as their access to technology], instructor [experience/knowledge and level of technological skills, how s/he sees his/her role as a teacher as well as his/her view about technology, appropriate teaching strategies as well availability of time], content [the goals and objectives of the topic in question, what to expect from students and also the tool(s) that would be appropriate to support to students’ achievement], and technology tools [types and their uses and their suitability to the topic/intention]) to make the use of technology effective in teaching.
The authors show the potentials of technology making situations in teaching and learning which otherwise would be impossible possible (e.g. Last week’s CFG). They discuss strategies that instructors could adopt to make technology useful in their teaching to enhance students’ learning even in large classes. Their discussion reveal the importance of teacher integrating things/strategies like games, simulations and their likes to make learning more practical and authentic to students. The authors discuss technology’s applicability with different courses and how it could even be used to address specific goals effectively through its different communication mode/tools. They show how technology apart from its advantages to teaching and learning serves as a good reservoir for different kinds of information that could help both teachers and students to deepening their understanding of concepts and admonish teachers to educate students on how best they can sift for useful information and ethical issues relating to the use of information from the internet. Svinicki & McKeachie (2014) also talk about strategies teachers can use to evaluate the impact of the use of technology in their teaching.
Reflection:
I am repeating Denise’s assertion that everything about Svinicki & McKeachie (2014) is so relevant to us as instructors. Personally, reading the chapter 17 on technology use in teaching was beneficial to me because it exposed me to other technological tools I have never used. Our week 7 CFG was typical example of the authors assertion that technology can make situations that seemed to be impossible possible. Also, I see the time and effort saving advantage of integrating technology in teaching that the authors discussed in our weekly reflection post because it gives us the opportunity to know other people’s perspective about the readings prior to class with less time and energy use. The authors’ examples of strategies for effective integration of technology in teaching was very beneficial to me as a novice in technology.
Another point that caught my attention was the authors repeated caution (in the tips for using the different tools) about instructors making their intention/goals for integrating technology into their teaching clear to students so that they would not abuse it. In fact, I have not discussed my use of power points with my students, neither have I discussed the use of canvas in details with my students. Sometimes I do see some students using their laptops for other things aside from the intention of the class. As reading this chapter has really informed me as to the right thing to do for students to have maximum benefit of technology. Their discussion on how instructors can evaluate the impact of the use of technology on their students was very insightful because it is something I have not thought of. Even the simple technology I am using, I have never evaluated its impact on my students so the information was very useful to me.
Another benefit of technology use that is helping my home country (Ghana) is access to higher education especially for teachers. Because we do not have enough universities in Ghana, all the seven public universities and some private accredited private universities offer distance education in which technology plays vital role from the buying of forms, accessing admission letters, payment of fees, dissemination of information and other relevant issues which otherwise would not have been possible if not for technology. These programs depend so much on technology for their success because most of their lectures and other activities are held online.
Another take away I had from this week’s reading is instructor attaching importance to technology use in their teaching. As the authors asserted, teaching in this technological era demand the use of technology for it to be more effective and also prepare the students for the technological world/job market. This is a confession, I was not serious with technology till I started my doctoral program here in the U.S. I never integrated technology in my teaching because I had the notion that it is for special people and some courses (the sciences). Though I saw some of my colleague instructors use it (though few) in their teaching, I was not bothered even though I was handling large classes. Even issues with phones was done by my children for me. So aside from the simple tools like power points, emails and their likes, I am struggling with integrating ‘complex’ technological tools in my teaching but I have the hope that with the tutoring and scaffolding I am getting from my instructors coupled with my zealousness to know more about technology and teaching, I would enhance my knowledge before going back.
Reference
Svinicki, M., & McKeachie, W. J. (2014). McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college
and university teachers (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Svinicki & McKeachie's (2014) chapter 17 focus on the relevance of instructors incorporating technology in teaching to enhance students’ learning. They discuss how technology can enhance instruction and assessment for instructors and at same time promote active learning with less stress on effort, space, and location when used appropriately through the use of effective pedagogy. Their discussion also suggest strategies teachers can use to make careful planning that factors in the components (students [considering students’ learning styles, technological experiences/skill level, their expectations as well as their access to technology], instructor [experience/knowledge and level of technological skills, how s/he sees his/her role as a teacher as well as his/her view about technology, appropriate teaching strategies as well availability of time], content [the goals and objectives of the topic in question, what to expect from students and also the tool(s) that would be appropriate to support to students’ achievement], and technology tools [types and their uses and their suitability to the topic/intention]) to make the use of technology effective in teaching.
The authors show the potentials of technology making situations in teaching and learning which otherwise would be impossible possible (e.g. Last week’s CFG). They discuss strategies that instructors could adopt to make technology useful in their teaching to enhance students’ learning even in large classes. Their discussion reveal the importance of teacher integrating things/strategies like games, simulations and their likes to make learning more practical and authentic to students. The authors discuss technology’s applicability with different courses and how it could even be used to address specific goals effectively through its different communication mode/tools. They show how technology apart from its advantages to teaching and learning serves as a good reservoir for different kinds of information that could help both teachers and students to deepening their understanding of concepts and admonish teachers to educate students on how best they can sift for useful information and ethical issues relating to the use of information from the internet. Svinicki & McKeachie (2014) also talk about strategies teachers can use to evaluate the impact of the use of technology in their teaching.
Reflection:
I am repeating Denise’s assertion that everything about Svinicki & McKeachie (2014) is so relevant to us as instructors. Personally, reading the chapter 17 on technology use in teaching was beneficial to me because it exposed me to other technological tools I have never used. Our week 7 CFG was typical example of the authors assertion that technology can make situations that seemed to be impossible possible. Also, I see the time and effort saving advantage of integrating technology in teaching that the authors discussed in our weekly reflection post because it gives us the opportunity to know other people’s perspective about the readings prior to class with less time and energy use. The authors’ examples of strategies for effective integration of technology in teaching was very beneficial to me as a novice in technology.
Another point that caught my attention was the authors repeated caution (in the tips for using the different tools) about instructors making their intention/goals for integrating technology into their teaching clear to students so that they would not abuse it. In fact, I have not discussed my use of power points with my students, neither have I discussed the use of canvas in details with my students. Sometimes I do see some students using their laptops for other things aside from the intention of the class. As reading this chapter has really informed me as to the right thing to do for students to have maximum benefit of technology. Their discussion on how instructors can evaluate the impact of the use of technology on their students was very insightful because it is something I have not thought of. Even the simple technology I am using, I have never evaluated its impact on my students so the information was very useful to me.
Another benefit of technology use that is helping my home country (Ghana) is access to higher education especially for teachers. Because we do not have enough universities in Ghana, all the seven public universities and some private accredited private universities offer distance education in which technology plays vital role from the buying of forms, accessing admission letters, payment of fees, dissemination of information and other relevant issues which otherwise would not have been possible if not for technology. These programs depend so much on technology for their success because most of their lectures and other activities are held online.
Another take away I had from this week’s reading is instructor attaching importance to technology use in their teaching. As the authors asserted, teaching in this technological era demand the use of technology for it to be more effective and also prepare the students for the technological world/job market. This is a confession, I was not serious with technology till I started my doctoral program here in the U.S. I never integrated technology in my teaching because I had the notion that it is for special people and some courses (the sciences). Though I saw some of my colleague instructors use it (though few) in their teaching, I was not bothered even though I was handling large classes. Even issues with phones was done by my children for me. So aside from the simple tools like power points, emails and their likes, I am struggling with integrating ‘complex’ technological tools in my teaching but I have the hope that with the tutoring and scaffolding I am getting from my instructors coupled with my zealousness to know more about technology and teaching, I would enhance my knowledge before going back.
Reference
Svinicki, M., & McKeachie, W. J. (2014). McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college
and university teachers (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.