Old School: “Control”<\/b><\/p>\n
By “control,” I refer to the widely-used Socratic approach to learning, that presents the accepted belief that knowledge is “transmitted” to the learner, who plays the simple role of “receptacle.” What is ultimately integrated into memory, knowledge and behaviour is left, for the most part, to chance. Such learning, as we know it, does not “stick” and as often revealed in any testing, simply disappears to the “back” regions of our brain. <\/p>\n
But since we have taught this way for so long, and it produced many of the people who are now reading this article, well, it must have worked!! And it did!! But then again, when we deal with children, it should have everything to do with them and not with our own beliefs, ideologies and philosophies. <\/p>\n
Today and in the future, technology will be playing such an integral role in all of our lives that it is increasingly disconcerting reading and hearing adults diminish, denigrate and deflate the role that technology can play in the classroom. The walls of our classrooms are becoming increasingly permeable. Any thought that schools, classrooms and educators should confine their activities and actions to these walls and not explore the world around them is very scary.<\/p>\n
New School: “Input<\/b><\/p>\n
By “input”, I refer to how children can play an integral role in their own learning process. Becoming active learners and actually playing a significant role in the pedagogy of the teacher. is a wonderful outcome of the OLPC movement. Technology, as we have experienced with laptops, enables this to happen and if the teachers are open and willing to change to this new reality, it creates the “win-win” context that is so desired in our classrooms today. <\/p>\n
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<\/center><\/p>\nThe teachers “win” because their pedagogy is enhanced, in ways that were not available a few years ago. The students “win” because they are now active learners, and all research is unequivocal: high interest and engagement leads to deeper learning.<\/p>\n
The Challenge in Change<\/b><\/p>\n
Why has the OLPC movement encountered some stiff resistance? Simply put, regardless of the level in the institution (State Department of Education, Ministries, Superintendents, Principals Teachers, Non Teaching Professionals, Parents), people are reluctant to cede control, with the misplaced notion that lack of “control” implies reduced instructional impact. Allowing students to be architects of their own learning pattern seems too far-removed a concept to incorporate into current classroom activities. <\/p>\n
Then add the reality that university teacher training programs, for the most part, continue to inadequately prepare graduating teachers to the new realities of technology in the classroom. It also explains why we have witnessed how our more experienced teachers have embraced the use of technology into the classroom rather than our younger, less experienced teachers. <\/p>\n
In my estimation, when we allow children to be active participants in their own learning using technology, it will not result in making the earth any “flatter” or “smaller” but rather will bring the universe to the minds of children.<\/p>\n