Transcript Technology Together

Do we need to ‘teach’
students computer skills?
Resource 39 || Presentation
• Some teachers use a very directive style of
teaching when engaging their students in learning
technology skills.
• They often see it as critical to ‘teach’ the skills
before students can engage in activities that use
the skills.
Teachers’ approaches to teaching students such
skills can be shaped by their:
• Focus on competency over capability
• A desire to maintain control and be seen as the one with
the knowledge to pass on to students
• Concern about their ability to ‘manage’ or ‘control’
students’ behavior if everyone isn’t doing the same thing
at the same time
• A lack of realization that most young people can and will
learn computer skills independently and from each other
while they engage in tasks.
Mitra et al. have conducted research where they placed
unsupervised computer terminals in rural villages in India, where
children have never before had access to such technology.
Copyright (c)
HiWEL
Used with
permission from
Hole-in-the-Wall
Education Ltd,
India.
When tested later, children are able to
successfully complete a computer exam.
Copyright (c) HiWEL
Used with permission from Hole-in-the-Wall Education Ltd, India.
“Even in the absence of any direct input, mere curiosity led
groups of children to explore, which resulted in learning.
This, coupled with minimal input from peers, or from anyone
familiar with computers, helped the children learn more”.
“This leads us to believe that any learning environment that
provides an adequate level of curiosity can cause learning in
groups of children. Children’s desire to learn, along with their
curiosity and peer interaction, drives them to explore the
environment in order to satisfy their inquisitiveness”.
(Mitra, et al, 2005, p. 409)
Mitra, S., Dangwal, R., Chatterjee, S., Jha, S., Bisht, R. and Kapur, P. Sugata (2005) ‘Acquisition of
computing literacy on shared public computers: Children and the “hole in the wall” ‘, Australasian Journal of
Education Technology, Vol. 21 (3), pp 407 – 426. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet21/mitra.html
View the video
presentations by
Sugata Mitra on
TED.
OR
Visit the Hole-in-theWall website
Teachers (and school cultures) can thus either see ICT as:
ICT as a set of skills to be taught
ICT as a tool to enhance and enrich
learning and teaching.
Often influenced by teachers’ own personal
focus on ICT competence.
Tends to be informed by a capability-based
approach.
Assumes that students need to be taught
computer skills.
Assumes that students will pick up and learn
these skills as a result of using technology
as a normal part of their learning.
Assumes the teacher needs to teach the
skills.
Realises that children can learn skill
independently and help and support each
others’ learning.
Assume there is a logical order in which
skills need to be taught.
Recognises that computer skills can develop
in an emergent way.
Leads to ICT being taught as a separate
subject at a designated separate time of the
week.
Leads to ICT being an integrated part of the
whole curriculum.
Small group discussion
What approaches are currently being employed
in our school for teaching computer skills?
Are these appropriate and necessary?
What are the implications of Mitra’s research
for the way we ‘teach’ our students computer
skills?
Weekly challenge
This week, try an ICT lesson where students
may not yet know all the skills. Encourage
students to explore and help each other.
Three key things from today…
What three points can you take from today’s
discussion?
You might base your
thoughts around the
metacognitive
model…..
Other resources are available from the
Technology Together website:
http://technologytogether.scu.edu.au
This presentation is associated with Technology Together: Whole-School Professional Development for
Capability and Confidence, by Renata Phelps and Anne Graham.
Copyright 2013, ISTE ® (International Society for Technology in Education),
Distribution and copying of this presentation is allowed for educational purposes and use with full attribution
to ISTE and the authors.
Clipart is drawn from Masterclips 500,000 ® IMSI
The research informing this publication was conducted as a collaboration
between the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross
University and the Catholic Education Office, Lismore Diocese, NSW,
Australia and was funded by the Australian Research Council.