Week 6 Reflection

Well here we are at the end of week 6 in Learning with Emerging Technologies and this is a great time to reflect on what has been learned so far, how this all fits in with what I do, and a couple thoughts about the future. So far I have discovered and more thoroughly comprehended a tremendous amount of educational theory and how emerging technologies can be used to put those theories into practice using 21st century skills with digital media. The research is very convincing, this stuff works. Kids like it. It is engaging, immersive, and effective.

It is important for me to not lose sight on what my objectives are for this class and the entire MALET program. My intentions are not to replace the traditional hands-on skill development and training aspect that we are well known for with computer based instruction, online classes, and virtual games. Instead, I want to use these technologies to supplement what we do, strengthen it, make it more accessible to students, and allow students the opportunity to take more control of their own learning.

The most realistic virtual simulations in the world cannot replace the real world experiential learning that takes place in the classes that I normally teach. Using real tools on real systems in real machines is the best way for students to truly develop their knowledge and skills. However, that is not to say that there are not imperfections in the design of hands-on learning. Here are a few "imperfections" that come to mind. First, students are humans, and humans make mistakes. If we can reduce some of the mistakes by creating more "practice" time using emerging technologies, we can save time and money, two precious resources in post-secondary education today. Second, some students are not mentally ready for some of the hands-on activities. They may be genuinely interested in the field and want to make a career out of it but come into the program with limited experience and a timid attitude about jumping right into hooking a $700 meter into the electrical circuit of a $300,000 tractor. Educational technology such as simulations, animations, and virtual learning models can help students gain some experience and confidence in a safe and comfortable environment. Third, some students are for more advanced than others and have an internal need to be challenged and realize progression in their own learning. This is hard to do in a hands-on lab setting where the tasks and resources are structured so the objectives are achievable by everybody including the lowest level students. Creative development of learning activities and opportunities through the use of emerging technologies can create an avenue for the advanced students to pursue learning beyond the minimum requirements. Fourth, you just can't give students a hands-on task to do without structuring an environment in which they understand the concepts and theory behind what they are doing. Emerging technologies provide educators with an opportunity to redesign their lecture material that create the theoretical framework around the hands-on activities in ways that are more engaging and accessible to students than traditional college classroom lectures.

Moving forward in the class, I am excited to continue to realize more ways of incorporating emerging technologies into what we do. From research readings to ideas from other students in the class, my eyes have already been opened much farther than I thought would happen and I know it will continue. One concerning issue that is starting to weigh heavy in my mind is related to the actual technologies themselves, and my ability to work with it. Not so much from a user end as I am relatively comfortable there, but from a development end.  I knew starting this program that the main intention is to make me an effective educator, not a software developer. However, as I read and learn about great things happening in education today with the use of digital technologies, I quickly realize that somebody had to create that simulation, somebody had to build that animation, and somebody had to write the software to create the virtual environment. If that isn't something that I am going to learn how to do, then it basically spells out "collaboration project" with somebody or a group more versed in software development and graphic arts. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean time, somebody else's time, that somehow must be compensated and therefore significant monetary resources will be involved. Where will this come from? How can I justify this to my administrators? Where can I find the human resources with the knowledge and skill to build what I need? Having the creativity to structure effective learning activities within a technology is a challenge in itself, but the administrative hurdles involved with the development of the technology adds a whole new dimension.