19 FEB 2016
5 reasons to increase our use of technology in FE
I don't know about you, but I've been pretty unconvinced by lots of the arguments I've come across for increasing the use of technology in FE.
I don't know about you, but I've been pretty unconvinced by lots of the arguments I've come across for increasing the use of technology in FE. They're often made by people who stand to gain financially and are vague, lacking in any convincing evidence, and unrealistic about the actual implementation of their advice. One article mentioned something along the lines of '9/10 students said using tech in classrooms would help prepare them for what they may face in the future' which I'm afraid just doesn't cut it for me. Often, increasing the tech seems to be pointless in terms of improving results, or in fact improving anything. It seems it is just tech for techs sake, an expenditure that would prove a headache to Lecturers and only serve to distract students. Given the current climate, I certainly wouldn't want to be the lecturer that tries to woo the already heavily stretched Finance Department in the hope they will allocate funding - "what funding!?" - into increasing the use of technology. Not with these arguments anyway. However, I do believe there are some...
Convincing arguments for increasing technology in Further Education
And funnily enough, most of them come from Lecturers and Teachers. I've found they add a good dose of practicality to the mix while keeping the focus on the efficiency of the technology, and the actual benefits to them and their pupils. Also, as long as Lecturers and pupils have access to a device of some sort, they are often free. So without further ado, here are my 5 reasons FE actually needs to increase its use of technology:
1. Technology can make life easier for teachers
I read a great post the other day on Tom Starkey's blog 'Stack Of Apps'. It was the transcript of the 'using technology in FE' speech he did at the UKFEChat National Conference 2015. Aside from being really entertaining (suggest you check it out!) there were some nuggets of wisdom in there that really rang true with me. A big one being that technology can actually make life easier for teachers. Technology can automate the more tedious tasks. Tom suggests using Google Classroom (a tool that helps teachers create and organise assignments, provide feedback and communicate with their classes) as it makes tasks like turning in homework a doddle. He recommends Padlet for collaboration tasks, and Trello if you're class needs to organise any sort of project. His blog regularly highlights other tools he has found useful, as does Richard Byrne's blog here, and Mark Anderson's website here. Of course, these things can always go wrong. The tech may not work as expected or the pupils may not have the ability to use it. The key thing to keep in mind is that technology should help you achieve your existing aims, such as class participation, interaction and learning, and if it doesn't work (after a reasonable amount of trying) simply move on and try something else.
2. Technology can provide unprecedented access to inspiring people & projects
The example I'm thinking of here was mentioned in Andrew Robinson's post 'Skype In The Classroom – Bringing Guest Speakers to Students.' He points out that technologies such as Skype, despite not being the newest and shiniest on the scene, can enable you to create amazing experiences for your students. Skype (plus a little legwork and some crafty use of social media) makes it possible to invite industry experts from all over the world (bearing in mind timezones!) to share their knowledge and experiences with your class. Doing so would be a great way to give students a real insight into the plethora of careers available today, possibly inspiring them on to paths that have never even crossed their minds before. You could also tell your pupils how you went about organising the talk and open their eyes to the power of networking, what can be done and who can be reached with a bit of leg work! Although if you've got any pupils that are particularly fanatical about a certain celebrity this may not be a good idea.
3. Technology skills have become fundamental life skills for most people
Being able to use technology effectively is a massive asset in life. Whether it is navigating the syllabus or the world of work, the ability to do things like create presentations, differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the Internet, maintain proper online etiquette, and write emails, will stand students in good stead. As practice makes perfect, students who are able to attempt and master these skills (and many more) as part of their College education will have a big advantage over those who can't.
4. Technology can help you mix it up to great effect
We all know how hard it is to keep students focussed and working well. Sometimes just changing the way you do things can create great results. There are so many ways you can do it that you're bound to find something that would work with your pupils. Here are some ideas:
- Watch YouTube videos around the lesson topics in class - Videos are a great way to teach because they are entertaining to watch. There's all sorts of videos out there and this post of 30 YouTube Channels for Teachers should help you find ones relevant to your lesson.
- 'Flip the classroom' as explained in this great TED Talk - Set the 'classroom work' as homework and do funner things in lessons, such as watching educational videos or playing educational games.
- Set your pupils a blogging challenge - Blogging teaches students about writing in the digital age. Let them submit homework and projects as a blog post and encourage them to properly format the posts, add images, videos and backlinks for top marks. Blogger.com is a good, free place to start.
- Present like a pro - There are loads of free online presentation making tools which can be used by pupils to present their ideas. This can teach them how to formulate their arguments, and has the added bonus of fun elements like animation which will keep them tuned in for longer.
- Fact finding mission - Set your pupils a research task, deciding whether they can use the whole Internet or perhaps just social media, to teach them this valuable life skill.
5. Technology can help them see the real & current world
Technology such as news sites, blogs and social media give us far greater insight into what is going on in the world than we used to have. When I was growing up I would have had to read the paper or watch the news on TV to know anything about current affairs, and even then this would be a small snapshot.
Social networks have brought us is the ability to follow debates that public intellectuals and experts in a particular field are having right here and now. It allows us to follow the everyday work and contact people who, in previous generations, would have been inaccessible.
The variation in the resources you can access online provides learners with a more interesting, diverse and current learning materials that can lend a real vibrancy and freshness to learning, which can't be provided by textbooks or other ‘static’ media.
What are your favourite uses of technology in the classroom? Let us know in the comments!