The upcoming PIDP 3240 blogs will be related to my new learning, reflections, and critical thinking on media enhanced learning and how we as adult educators can best use the new technologies and teaching methodologies to support and facilitate the learning process.
Unless my current position changes, I currently view learning as an evolutionary process and feel that we need be cautious and guided by wisdom rather than fads and marketing campaigns when selecting and using technology to facilitate learning. Technology has distinct advantages in some areas such as the development of psycho motor skills but fast moving interactive processes do not allow much opportunity for reflection or critical thinking Contrary to the early chapters in Teaching Naked (Bowen, 2012), it is my opinion that we do not get knowledge from a flat screen, or a flat page for that matter. We simply get information, albeit in innovative and stimulating forms at times, that we may be able to use in our quest for knowledge and meaning. I did learn one interesting thing already from the course text book Teaching Naked (Bowen 2012). Bain (2004), in describing the most successful college professors, states that "They understand that learning is emotional and that mental models (often called deep learning) change slowly." Now they tell me! And all this time I have been pushing myself hard and overriding my emotions and using logic and discipline to learn. This course could be interesting. I have some pretty strong opinions and biases to overcome regarding the justification of 10,000 hours of gaming that the average American 21 year old is claimed to have played (McGonical, 2010; Prensky, 2010), but I will save that topic for an upcoming blog. My brain says, show me the evidence that society is better off and individuals are happier and feel more complete as a result of all this gaming 'learning'. Leave a Reply. |