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NEW TECHNOLOGY: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Carol Kahar
Vineland, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada
“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” Bill Gates In 1994 teachers everywhere were starting to recognize the value of computers in the classroom and also for personal use. In Pärnu, that same summer and the next, I instructed Estonian teachers of English as part of a team of eight Canadians from Ontario and eight Estonian teachers of English. The initiative was to encourage a methodology that was more student-oriented. We had a most productive and fun time working together on a project that we recognized to be of great importance. There were significant changes underway in the profession, as computers were being introduced to classrooms in Ontario, where I live, and in Estonia. In Pärnu we were determined to be part of that movement and make all necessary changes to the curricula. Under the leadership of President Lennart Meri, Estonia was undergoing “The Tiger’s Leap” (Tiigrihüpe). This project was very ambitious, with focus on providing computer technology and access to the Internet to all schools in Estonia. A similar project was underway in Ontario. For most teachers at that time, computers were quite alien and required a new approach to learning, both personal and in their classrooms. I liked to think of the process as dedicated play, rather than a difficult chore. Few people had computers at home and many Estonian teachers did not yet have them at their schools. However, it did not take long. By the close of 1995 many had embraced the new technology and were using email in their classroom and at home. Fast forward to 2019 and the scene has markedly changed. Today whatever would we do without our laptops, tablets, or Smartphones? They keep us in touch with each other and better informed about the world around us. Time to ask: How have we revised our thinking and methodology to include this marvellous new technology into our classrooms? Time to pay attention to the good, the bad, and the ugly of this remarkable tool now at our disposal in the classroom. What is our new role? Has it diminished? Disappeared? Or perhaps enhanced? Computers have been with us for over two decades now. However, there has been a mixed response in classrooms that have persisted with orthodox learning models. Cramming computers into existing learning models has proven incompatible in today’s world. A ‘blended learning model’ will comprehensively redesign the learning environment and individualize learning for each student through the use of technology. The altered model matters more than the technology itself. 6