User Error

In my previous post, I discussed the importance of having alternative plans when technical issues arise. I also gave certain strategies to cope with some common issues people have on presentation day. In this blog, I want to focus on the other end of things and discuss user error.

User error is a coined-term to describe the errors users make when using technology, opposed to technological flinches. I believe user error and competency in software is often overlooked in teaching how to use technology in the classroom. There are many great and creative ideas that persons purpose to use but the lack of execution deter from the content trying to be delivered. 

For example, a few years ago I observed a classroom where powerpoint and a dvd movie were being used together. After watching a few clips from a historical movies, the teacher would switch to power point to outline a few observations and pose questions. The idea was great! What student does not want to watch a DVD instead of hearing lecture. Unfortunately, the teacher did not have a solid grasp of the software being used. The teacher struggled to work with both applications and as a result students lost their attention and assumed chatter with their neighbors.

I think when talking about technology in the classroom, its important to not only teach the innovation of technology as a teaching instrument but also emphasize the importance of mastery for performance. Otherwise, as shown above, students become disinterested and the content missed. 

This brings me to a final point that will lead into my next post: the competency in computers. Teachers must be versatile and efficient in computing in order to effectively teach computers and teach with computers. 

technology

This week in preparing for the resource assignment, I fully realized how great a resource the internet will be in finding sources and researching topics for classroom lessons. There are tons and tons of sites out there that are teacher friendly, and provide great resources for social studies material. I could probably spend an entire summer scouring the internet for curriculum ideas (there are even a multitude of lesson plans out there too, which may also come in handy!)
Even though technology is already an omnipresent part of our society, I am interested to see in ten years if these current trends have continued and expanded (or exploded!) or perhaps schools have gone back to more traditional methods, if that is even possible! There are plenty of skills (ie. library skills, map reading skills) that are potentially being overlooked in schools, because the internet has made these methods practically obsolete. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I'm not quite sure...