Learning through digital tools
I am not a teacher in it’s traditional and commonly understood sense but have I taught? Yes. Foremost and more importantly I have taught myself a plethora of information and skills. I tend to think that I have been successful to a good extent in retaining what I learned. Technology played a vital role in my learning process even though I am a child of 20th century but my quest and thirst for knowledge found no hinderance in jumping from libraries to computers to Internet and from books to software to apps and websites! I made it through this journey successfully and mostly on my own when it comes to understanding and deploying technology to complete my tasks and achieve the intended goals.
Today, I rely on technology as my most important communication tool to keep me in touch with my loved ones. I rely on technology to organise my life, arrange my travels, seek knowledge on new things which I come across. I have myself as a good example to use when I do get a chance to teach someone. I am often delivering teacher training or being asked to take and cover classes for high school students when they are in their course units relevant to my experiences and expertise.
While I coach I always refer to technology in the way I experienced it in my own learning experiences. I believe in fundamentals. I am always stressing on ‘understanding the basics’ which I believe help us in adapting and connecting to any new methods of learning specially when it comes to technology. My philosophy in adaptation of technology for learning was strengthened by attending the sessions of Alan November in one of the conferences. Technology is only but an improved and faster means we, humans, have developed to assist us in processing information we collect, analyse, store and share. All the new learning methods and models are devised to help us and young learners understand the ways to feel comfortable with and adapt technology to aid our personal learning journeys.
1 COMMENT
Tell us more about what you mean by “understanding the basics”? What are those skills or understandings that you think all students (and maybe all teachers as well) should have.