Monday, June 8, 2009

In New York at the Faculty Resource Network

During the week of June 8 to June 13, I am attending a seminar on technology at New York University. There are professors and professionals from all areas and academic backgrounds.

After an engaging reading on unproven benefits of technology,  and if students learn differently, it is important to consider that this technology is way too young to have comprehensive studies proving its benefits or learning styles. The tools and he body of experience is being created as we speak and (as if in a drug vs. placebo trial), it is too early to present conclusive results f the kind "this is better than..."
Personally, I stressed the following three points with my colleagues:
  • technology is a tool and not a methodology, and should be considered as such.
  • to teach with technology requires a degree of expertise with the new media
  • experimentation, trial and error are part of the equation. We all have different ways to teach and it is necessary to best adapt these new tools to our teaching methods.
If your read, please add your token to some of the dialogue already taken place in this blog. And Gracias.