My Thoughts re: The Role of Media in Learning

I must say that I honestly learned quite a bit from reading this week's articles. I do favor the use of media and technology in the classroom, as I believe they do play an integral role in the learning process and can result in improved student outcomes, yet I am still left with some of the same concerns - mainly the financial concerns - that I have had all along when it comes to incorporating these tools into the classroom. This issue will be discussed in a little bit.

In discussing the articles, I especially found the "Tech Tools for Learning" article by Will Richardson to be extremely insightful. I had heard of such tools as weblogs, podcasts, webcams, and streaming video before, but I didn't fully know what all of these tools were capable of. The RSS tool was new to me, so it was valuable to learn about that as well. I am disappointed though, by the fact that my school district doesn't allow the use of these tools at this time. There are too many issues, safety issues in particular, that must be ironed out before we can begin incorporating any of these modalities. But despite this pitfall, of all these technological tools, I found the podcasting and webcam ones to be of particular interest. It is amazing to learn about the possibilities these tools can offer. I really like how webcams can bring the outside into the classroom, such as through virtual fieldtrips. I'd like to try this someday, when it's allowed, of course!

Going along with the aforementioned, I also read the article, " In Pod We Trust" by Mikael Blaisdell. I was not aware of all that the iPod has to offer, to be honest. I knew it was mostly used to listen to mp3s; however, I did not know it could be used as a recording device which would allow for audio content to be uploaded to the computer and then broadcasted on the Internet. It seems that a device that is not allowed in some schools has the potential to serve as an excellent learning tool. I appreciated how the article raised this concern but presented the various capabilities the iPod has to offer. In a way, I do think that if students were allowed to bring iPods or other mp3 players with the same capabilities as an iPod, that they would be more open to this new way of learning. Students would feel as though they are given more freedom, yet at the same time, they can demonstrate, through proper use of the contemporary learning device, that they can be trusted to use this tool in school the way it was meant to be used. The major concern I have though is that some districts likely do not have the money to purchase such tools. Or, if the district can purchase them and offer them to families to buy, I fear that not all families would have the necessary funds to buy this device. The article mentioned how an iPod can cost between $300-$400, though with an educational discount, the price is about $30 less (p. 36). I still think that is a hefty price, especially given the fact that some families (and I'm referring to families within the school district where I teach), cannot readily afford sending their children on a $10-$15 field trip or even purchasing necessary school supplies. Then again, I wonder if families would set aside enough money for this tool since it provides benefits in and out of school. By this, I mean that students can use the "playback" feature to listen to the same material over and over again, and they can have access to the material at any time. Not only this, but it provides personal benefits as well. In a sense, it'd be like killing two birds with one stone because not only do students have a portable device in which they can listen to their music, but also their entertainment is serving as an educational tool. Students may feel more responsibility to take care of the device and actually use it since it provides a new way of learning, isn't as boring as learning via pencil, paper, and book, and essentially, "is a tool of their own" as the article mentioned on page 32.

I must also say that before reading these articles, I was skeptical about the use of the iPod in the classroom and its educational value. I know our principal briefly passed the idea by us last year saying that we might be getting iPods in the future. I didn't really think much of it except, "Well, what exactly, could we do with those?" Now, I'm very relieved to know about all they have to offer. I would be a proponent for obtaining these for classroom use, especially seeing as how media and technology have proven to be effective in the classroom according to the Reeves article.

I believe that media does have a positive effect on learning. It was interesting to read about the way "media" and "technology" were defined in the Reeves article. This helped to clarify the two. I have seen technology work in the school where I work because the computer acts as "tutor" just like the article mentions. Our struggling reading students use the software program Read 180 by Scholastic. I did an evaluation on this program for one of my past CTER classes and indeed, this program proved to be effective. Students' reading levels increased and their attitudes toward reading soared dramatically.

I agree with the Reeves article, that as long as teachers plan accordingly, choose the right materials, and plan enough in advance, that media and technology will work in the classroom and will yield positive results. I also feel that as long as other technology-based learning tools, such as iPods, weblogs, webcams, and streaming video are used effectively, to supplement the curriculum or to simply aid in the teaching and learning process, that students will be more motivated and eager to learn. Teachers will not be using technology just for the sake of using it, rather they will use it to benefit the students and the overall learning process.