Video 4: Three Tips for Using Technology: Alignment Matters

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En provenance du cours de Arizona State University

Teach English Now! Technology Enriched Teaching

492 notes

Arizona State University

Teach English Now! Technology Enriched Teaching

492 notes

Cours 3 sur 4 dans Specialization TESOL Certificate, Part 2: Teach English Now!

This course focuses on the key concepts you need in order to effectively integrate technology into your teaching, without letting it overshadow language learning. Discover current and future trends in educational technology, along with strategies for implementing these trends in the classroom and beyond. As technology is continually evolving, learn how to keep up on current technological applications through professional development networks and training opportunities.

À partir de la leçon

Module 1: Overcoming Your Fears of Using Technology

In this module, learners are introduced to a young teacher who is hesitant to incorporate technology into the classroom. On his journey, we will be introduced to reasons teachers avoid technology as well as suggestions for how to overcome some common technology difficulties. In particular, learners will be introduced to the concepts of alignment, learner control, and the importance of being outcomes driven.

Video 3: Through the Red Door: Welcome to the Digital Space6:44

Video 4: Three Tips for Using Technology: Alignment Matters7:47

Rencontrer les enseignants

Jessica Cinco
International Educator
Global Launch
Dr. Shane Dixon
Senior International Educator
Arizona State University Global Launch
Dr. Justin Shewell
Senior International Educator
Arizona State University

[MUSIC]

Welcome back.

I'm glad you have taken the red door with our inexperienced newbie teacher.

You'll notice that in that last video you were introduced to very distinct ideas

that appeared in the tea leaves.

And we'd like to expand on those ideas now.

First of all, in the first cup of tea it said, do you remember?

Curriculum and technology must be aligned.

One of the biggest mistake any experienced teachers make

is that they incorporate new technologies without thinking about how it fits in

with their current curricular design.

At their worst, these teachers simply find the technology that will fill class time

rather than teach anything.

When technology is truly aligned with your curriculum,

it means that it isn't just filling class time or

homework, rather it should the class time or homework experience better.

In the United States we have the cliche of the teacher who, whenever he or

she gets tired, simply plays a movie.

Play a movie, that's technology?

Come on, please don't be that teacher.

Now let's talk about a second very common mistake that teachers make.

And that comes from examining what the second cup of tea said.

Control technology or it will control you.

Without clear teacher guidelines,

often learners take over the technology experience.

Let me explain.

I have seen teachers choose a technology, such as a website or

some cool device and give learners a certain amount of time with it.

The teacher here doesn't really want to control the students rather the teacher

just wants them to get involved or emerge themselves in the technology.

Now I love exposure to a technology and

I think it is a very good idea if you can cast students go to a lab for

example and get involved in the technology and enhance learning.

But here is the problem that I often see.

Many times, teachers give too much freedom and too many choices.

For example, I have seen teachers give Internet time, or mobile phone time.

And these teachers will simply give students a list of websites, and

then simply ignore what the learners choose and do.

Now, here's my problem with this method.

Technology is not a babysitter, I repeat, technology is not a babysitter.

Students will quickly catch on that there's no real purpose for

the technology, and will often start losing interest or

find their own interests.

If you don't have clear guidelines from your learners, you can expect that

the learners themselves will create their own guidelines for themselves.

Now let me share some research of my own that I believe is related.

In the study of an online pronunciation website

I did research on two groups of learners.

Both groups watched a lot of English language videos and

did pronunciation exercises related to those videos.

However, with one group of learners,

the learners were able to choose whatever they want.

And the other group, the learners followed a carefully prepared curriculum

that followed the objectives and themes of the course, week by week.

So, who did better?

You might think that learners who get to choose whatever they want

might be more motivated.

They after all get to do whatever they want.

But what we found was quite the opposite.

Those who did whatever they wanted did not do nearly as well as students who had

carefully selected videos that were aligned with the curriculum itself.

And not only that,

the learners who did what ever they wanted weren't is motivated either.

For some reason they lost some amount of motivation.

What can we conclude from this?

Well, my view is that for classroom environments you do not simply

give over your classroom instruction, your curriculum to a technology.

Here watch a bunch of videos, choose whatever you want.

Technology is not, you got it, not a babysitter.

You need the technology to be aligned with your curriculum.

Okay, are you noticing about how often we keep talking about alignment?

Good, it's crucial.

Now let me see if I can explain a little more clearly by discussing the third

mantra.

Do you remember what the third cup of tea said?

Balance happiness when you are outcomes driven.

What does that mean?

All right, in order to have curriculum and

technology aligned, in order to have the technology not take over the learner

experience you must have a strong idea of what you want learners to achieve.

That should be the first thing you think about as a teacher.

Being an outcomes driven teacher means that you have a clear idea of what you

are teaching and what students will learn at the end of a course or lesson.

What's the vocabulary you want them to know?

What are some of the activities you want them to know?

What reading, writing, listening, and

speaking activities do you want them to use and acquire?

You got to know that first then and only after you had made those decisions,

do you find technology to support what you teach in the assignments and

lesson plans you have.

In fact, in my view, it is extremely important to look at your assessment

instruments and then consider technology as the way of reaching those outcomes.

Look at your tests.

Look at your objectives, look at your outcomes and

then see if there's something that will help your students get there.

Otherwise, what you are doing is giving students a break from your

actual instruction and curricular design.

There's a parallel that should be obvious to you experienced teachers.

Many schools have a huge curriculum problem.

That, to put it simply, might be defined as just following a textbook.

Now, what's wrong with just following a textbook?

Well, if you remember,

we discuss the concept that we as teachers are in charge of the curriculum and

that books should help support and help us to achieve our goals.

Our goals come first.

And we carefully choose books that allows us to meet our curriculum.

By just following a book,

you end up giving away the most important parts of your job.

Carefully creating objectives and

lessons that lead students to a particular outcome.

You are the professional and you are in charge.

Whether it be a book or a technology, remember, you are the one in charge.

Your objectives and your outcome should be primary and the technology and

the textbooks, should follow.

Can you tell that we care about this?

Good, I'm glad.

It is a classic problem that inescapably occurs at every level of education.

And it is one that we best get right from the very beginning.

It reminds me of the classic English proverb that you don't put the cart before

the horse.

Technology doesn't come before your objectives.

Books don't come before your outcomes and

nothing comes in front of your professional expertise.

Got it?

Okay, the better you understand that basic concept,

the better chance you have for a balanced classroom.

Thanks for watching.

[MUSIC]

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