NECC09 from a Distance – Part 1: The Keynote Debate
Having gone to NECC08 and being so far away, the only way to participate this year was via the internet.
One of the memorable moments was Dr Gary Stager’s part in the Debate (Keynote 2), which can be viewed in the video above. (Note, the video has been edited to only include Stager’s arguments.)
There were a few aspects that grabbed my attention.
1) Although he wasn’t angry per se, I got the feeling that he was angry about the lack of change in the use of technology, and it was this anger that made me listen to him more than to the other debaters. In particular, his few “don’t tell me …” lines were strong and emotive. You could really feel the passion that the debate topic held for him.
2) Towards the end of the video clip, he compares an article from twenty years ago to what is going on now, to illustrate how little things have actually changed. Having used logo considerably before the world wide web revolution and the use of Web2.0, it is intruiging to consider whether logo programming is still a better use of technology than the bells and whistles of a content driven web2.0 task. Something that I need to think further on.
3) I get the feeling that Stager is not a fan of IWB technology as it would seem that the control is ’still at the front of the room’, ie with the teacher. I agree that this is not great use, but I hope that as teachers in my school develop their skills and understanding that the use of the IWB will become less teacher centred and more student centred. I guess time will tell if IWBs end up being an expensive form of chalk and talk instead of a tool for students to collaborate in rich and authentic tasks.
4) Lastly, the final few lines: “we have network policies that treat teachers and children as either imbeciles or felons, we install iPod labs so that children can be marched down a hall once a week for iPod lessons. We chain laptops to desks so children can’t take them home when that was there point in the first place. … the blame lies in the bankruptcy of our imagination.” go to the heart of the possibilities and also explain why such low level use of technology is dominating our education systems.
Video: source
