The idea of learning through media has been around since the first decade of the twentieth century. This was surprising as I thought it was a new concept that is being built upon. The thought in the '30's concerning the radio, film and television; "tomorrow they will be as common as the book and powerful in their effect on learning and teaching" (Morgan, 1932, p. ix) was intriguing. Educators had high hopes for instructional technology. The definition has been reevaluated throughout the century to come to a broader scope which includes improve learning and performance. The focus should be on the teacher's proper implementation of media to accomplish the goal of educating our students.
As a science educator, I have been able to utilize many wonderful media within the context of my science class. The options for videos and microscopic images is astounding. Properly used these can be very beneficial tools in introducing your class to some complex subjects. I have utilized Khan academy numerous times with my students. These are short lectured videos that introduce topics. These are helpful for students to hear from a different perspective and for the repetition.
The scenario presented seemed very dull. In this situation, I interpreted that they took a traditional classroom with textbooks, workbooks, student study guides and teacher curriculum and put them all in electronic form on a laptop. They did not address any teacher training that took place to integrate the new method. There was no mention of a new method of teaching to incorporate more technology instruction. The difference is they would open a laptop instead of a book. I fail to see the benefit of this situation, with the exception of kids carrying one laptop as opposed to a text, workbook and study book for each class. It did not appear that the teachers were using the technology available to their fullest extent. A development of a blog, online grade book and some actual on-line instruction would have benefited the student.
I believe it will be very challenging to ever replace a teacher effectively. Technology can provide us with some incredible teaching tools, but can they motivate and challenge struggling students? My belief is that the majority of El/MS/HS students need a positive role model as well as a teacher. They need to be with someone who has a genuine interest in the subject area and their personal life. This will benefit the student most and produce the best long term result. On the other hand, as a graduate student and mother of four, I have greatly appreciated the benefit of online learning. The opportunity for me to go back to school would be greatly diminished without this tool. Therefore, in the right context and with a motivated student, instructional design and technology is needed in our society and I believe will continue to grow as better tools are made available.
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