Saturday, February 12, 2011

Communities of Children Learning with Technology

The TED podcast by Sugata Mitra on the topic of access to technology in rural, semi-rural and urban slum areas in India was thought provoking.

What struck me the most was the social nature of the children's interactions with technology.  It appeared that a great deal of the learning was not only based on natural trial and error and general experimentation with the medium but also group negotiation.  The dialogue (advice, encouragement, verbal instruction and correction, etc.) that occurred between children of all ages seemed to play a pivotal role in the learning.

As I reflect on this I believe it has a direct application to my own work.  Parents and teachers often see technology use by students as a solitary activity.  However, just as many computer games have become social in nature, being played on the internet in real time with known or unknown gamers or together with a friend in the same room, the technology we use for instruction and to demonstrate learning could be used the same way.  The potential for peer instruction, exploration and support of both the technology itself and the topic being taught or presented is tremendous.

With appropriate guidelines and models from teachers, technology can support the development of social interactions and productive, positive relationships between students.  Group projects could ascend to a much higher level, in terms of student engagement and product quality.  An ambitious goal but an attainable one, in my opinion.

1 comment:

  1. Great thoughts on the TED video. Somehow, this model needs to be infused in our often rigid system of education. Sometimes, we need to trust our kids more, and recognized they can self-organize in positive ways. Sure enjoyed having Patrick in class. He's welcome any time!

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