Week 4 - Transformation

I found the video "The Voice of the Active Learner" to be interesting, challenging and annoying. Their attitude is that the onus is on the teacher, the institution and the course to keep up with technology to keep students interested simply because they have grown up with it. This attitude is almost insulting -  "If you want me, you'd better keep up with me".

While I find it this way, I feel that there is wisdom within this. It is reminding those that construct courses, teach or work with education in any way, need to keep up with changing technologies, and embrace that within our structures. Young learners have been brought up with this technology and this attitude of everything to be available instantly - adult learners have not. We have been brought up with encyclopaedias, home phones, and no internet. We don't expect everything right away. However, that is changing - now adult learners are used to the instant access to everything.

I don't believe that all learners have an attitude of "everything now" and that a course or unit of study has to be up with the latest technology. Certainly some would, but it would be so difficult for any course to keep with up cutting-edge technology as it changes every day! I find it heartening to learn that adult learners, once they have an induction and orientation in to technology, use it almost the same amount as younger learners. It means that adult learners realise the importance of new and emerging technologies, and aren't afraid to learn! This means however, that adult learners will want focus to be upon technology as well, not just the digital native, and that has implications to ensure that all courses need to keep up with emerging technologies and constantly be on the lookout for new and innovative ways to do everything!

I found "Changing Education Paradigms" a very interesting idea. Rather than be angry or annoyed as I was for "The Voice of the Active Learner" and their ideas, it made me realise that whilst I am not a digital native, that there are challenges to learning as one. Whilst I found the previous video difficult to watch, I found the second enthralling, as it really details the problems digital natives face. It makes me understand why digital natives have the attitudes they do, and understand that technology and learning are very important to them. Attention spans and their attitudes towards learning will be wholly different from adult learners. It is something to be careful of when teaching, and a further reason why learning the background, level and capacities of learners I would be teaching is of paramount important, especially when teaching using constructivist theories. It also seems to me, to further perpetuate the idea of how important constructivist learning is, and how this style of learning will only benefit and assist digital natives in their search for education.

I have included below an image of the SAMR model. I found this model very interesting, but also logical and well thought out. The stages of SAMR make clear sense, and by looking at these stages and how they compare to technology, I feel I can truly understand the changes that technology has made... and will continue to make within our lives.