[Year 12 IPM] OT Electronic White Boards

[Mark Scott]

Take 2
 
Dianne 
 
I was there when we introduced laptops into education. The underlying philosophy was based upon Seymour Paperts work on constructionism.
 
To quote 
 
Constructionism and Instructionism are names for two approaches to educational innovation. Instructionism is the theory that says, "To get better education, we must improve instruction. And if we're going to use computers, we'll make the computers do the instruction." And that leads into the whole idea of computer-aided instruction. 
Well, teaching is important, but learning is much more important. And Constructionism means "Giving children good things to do so that they can learn by doing much better than they could before." 
This is a quote from a speech Seymour Papert made to a conference of educators in Japan back in the 1980s. We had high hopes of changing the way schools operate through the intelligent use of technology. The new fancy whiteboards are clearly an instructionist tool. 
If after 20 years the best we can do is a better way to instruct then we sadly haven't come far at all.
Mark Scott
Luther College
PS Yes I have used the same arguments before. We had one learned colleague tell us that the Apple Newton (anybody remember them) was going to revolutionise Education. (I wonder whether he is lurking out there somewhere, listening in?)

 
________________________________

From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Diane Peat
Sent: Mon 21/11/2005 4:09 PM
To: Year 12 Information Technology Processing and Management Teachers'MailingList
Subject: RE: [Year 12 IPM] OT Electronic White Boards


I wonder if all the people who are so quick to condemn interactive whiteboards have actually spent a semester teaching with one. Isn't this an example of closing your minds to new ideas? They definitely won't make a bad teacher into a good one but they may help a good teacher to create more stimulating lessons that students will remember and enjoy.
 
I'm sure your same arguments would have been used when computers were introduced into the classroom but we embraced that technology ... and where would we (and our jobs) be without them now????????
 
Diane Peat
ICT Manager
Firbank Grammar School
51 Outer Crescent
BRIGHTON   VIC   3186
Tel        (03) 9591 5188
Fax       (03) 9592 1394
Email    dpeat at firbank.vic.edu.au
Web      www.firbank.vic.edu.au
 
 
 
 
 
 
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