Learn by using Technology

Over my 34 years at Gibson Southern, my curriculum has evolved from just Programming to the rich and varied classes we currently offer. How can we teach students to learn by using technology?

Let me give 10 quick examples from the classes I teach:

• Photography & Editing through using digital cameras and Photoshop
• Expressing Themselves through Twitter, Facebook and Blogs
• Deliver a Message through Slides
• Personal Finance through Sheets
• Accounting Concepts through QuickBooks
• Collate Data through Internet research
• Organizational Skills through Access
• Think Scientifically through Structured and Object Oriented programming
• Design and Layout through InDesign
• Artistic Expression through Fireworks

What about demonstrating mastery without explicit requirements?

The last project in my Web Design class has only the following instruction: Make a website about yourself.

While not stated, the expectation is that the sites will include:

• Navigation Spry
• Photoshopped images
• Flash animation
• Links to other sites
• Cited material from other sites
• All covered principles of good web design.

All of the concepts covered during the entire semester - demonstrating their entire skill set - is the logical final step of a semester of projects. 

Atmosphere

I wish I could say that the totality of my current classroom atmosphere was "self-control". For the vast majority of my students, hopefully, giving them quality guidance towards completing relevant projects incorporates their own sense of intrinsic accomplishment. The vast majority - unfortunately there are a few that require a gentle push at regular intervals to keep them on task. Another term I recently encountered that aptly describes the typical teenage student is "constant partial attention". Rather than seeing this as an unsolvable problem I see it as just another challenge as part of the educational process.

As stated by others, those with successful classroom management techniques tend to not realize their success or seem to need to focus on classroom management. The continuum across control by authority, control by technology, and self control might better be described as a 3-pronged approach rather than separate entities.

I propose that the singular requisite resource is the ability of teachers to function in the setting that best works for them.