In Chapter One, “The Read/Write Web,” Will Richardson provides a convincing argument for using the web as a tool for improving the way educators help students learn to read and write better. Mr. Richardson supports his position by reminding the reader that the web is a collaborative medium that students are already utilizing in many other areas of their life. He also points out that the web is used widely by journalists, politicians and businessmen to conduct their work. Mr. Richardson makes it clear that to continue to teach without using the tools of the web is to neglect our responsibility as educators to prepare students to successfully operate in the world they live in.
I agree with Mr. Richardson’s premise, but I am puzzled as to how to make the enormous transition he proposes. He states, “education has been slow to adapt to these new tools and potentials.” I believe that his criticism is correct. However, he fails to consider why this observation is true. I am sure there are several possible explanations. Maybe teachers who are already overwhelmed with the many demands on their time and the need to constantly adapt to changing policies and student population are resistant to adding one more major change. I, however, think limited finances and resources is a more likely explanation. Businesses are quick to purchase the resources and training necessary for competing in today’s market and so quite naturally made the transition to the world of technology. Through the loss of subscribers, journalism learned the hard way that there is a significant cost accrued when one does not keep up with the changing world; therefore, the business world of reporting willingly spent the money necessary to make sure that each reporter was trained and properly equipped. This is where the field of education differs. Even if the individual teacher believes that there is merit to including technology as part of the educational process, there are still enormous obstacles to overcome in order to make that happen. At FHS, there are a limited number of computers available. Each student can be assigned to do web work from home, but this also results in problems including the following: not all students have computers at home, not all students have reliable internet at home, and not all students have compatible computer software. For example, I recently gave students an assignment to be submitted to “turnitin.com”. I naively did not anticipate the numerous problems that this assignment would pose. First, some students do not have web. This seems like an easy problem to solve: have students save the assignment on their flashdrives and then upload them at school. Turns out, that solution only works if the student completes his or her assignment in a word program that is compatible with the school computers. A second obstacle encountered was that a few of my students do not have regular access to a working computer. Again, this seems like a simple issue to solve: arrange to stay after school with the student so that he or she can complete the assignment at school. Turns out, many of these students have after school jobs or extra curricular activities.
I believe that Mr. Richardson is correct; as educators we have to get on board with the changing world. But, I am concerned about the potential this new style of education will have on dividing the poor from the rich and more heavily working in the favor of the wealthy.
No comments:
Post a Comment