Technology Driven Curriculum: Carpe Diem vs. St. Mary's

Summary

            I recently watched a webinar concerning wireless devices in the classroom. The webinar lecture was broken into two main parts. The first part was a discussion of the dropping price and ever expanding use of technologies, including wireless technologies. The second part was a discussion regarding technology driven curricula; two schools, each driven to use technologies in a different way, were used as examples.

What I Learned

Part I 

From the early part of the webinar, I learned that only a few years ago, internet use on PCs exceeded the use of application on wireless devices. But today, the opposite is true. I wasn’t sure whether to be surprised by this.

Personally, I have a computer (a laptop) in front of my face for the majority of each day and when I’m on the computer, I’m on the internet. I own a cheap phone that is able to connect me to the internet, but I don’t feel comfortable paying for the data package required.

My fiancé, for another example, uses his computers (a laptop and a desktop) for important tasks both important and frivolous throughout the day. He uses his laptop in each of his classes in law school and comes home to play games with the use of the internet on his desktop. We both have significant projects that require the use of a keyboard and large screen and his leisure time hobby of gaming requires a mouse, sometimes the use of a keyboard, and in his opinion, a very large screen. While he has a blackberry, he usually only uses it to send emails and get directions.

Technology in our professional lives and at home plays a large and essential role and therefore, we require large, sturdy technological equipment to do the job. It is very difficult for me to imagine a life away from the computers, a life where my phone or an ipad is my new best friend. However, all I have to do is look around me to see how much people have come to rely on the convenience of devices such as smartphones, ipads, and kindles.

Part II

In the latter half of the webinar, I learned about two schools, one called Carpe Diem and another called St. Mary’s. Both schools practice implementing a technology based curriculum, Carpe Diem more so than St. Mary’s. At Carpe Diem, students work on computers in cubicles for half of the school day, each day. The speaker of the webinar, while biased, (he works with St. Mary’s to implement a strong technological curriculum), dislikes the approach of Capre Deim and I’d have to agree. The speaker explained that this use of technology supports drill and kill as opposed to learning. He suggests that wireless devices along with teacher instruction, papers, and pencils be equal components of a technology focused curriculum. This would allow students to learn by doing, key word, “learn.”

At the end of the webinar however, the speaker noted that regardless of how technology becomes integrated into the curriculum, it will be integrated nonetheless and very soon, educators must be prepared to use such technology as wireless devices within the classroom for instruction.

Questions & Answers

Below, I have answered several questions inspired by the webinar.

1.      How prepared are you for engaging in each type of learning (Carpe Diem vs. St. Mary’s)?

I do not feel at all prepared and very little of my training in curriculum and instruction was geared toward technology use. I feel comfortable and confident in my ability to turn some lessons into technological experiences but I am not fluent with the variety of technological devices, especially wireless devices, that would allow me to implement integrated (technology based) units using best practices. For instance, I have used an ipad only a few times, I have never operated a smartphone, and I have never created an online lesson module (something I’m assuming would be necessary).

2.      What would you suggest teachers in your field adopt based on current knowledge of mobile/wireless devices?

Unfortunately, I have absolutely no idea how to answer this question. In fact, this question is part of the reason why I signed up for an educational technology course. I do not use or am familiar with more than a couple wireless devices and I would not know how to implement them in the classroom. This is a topic that I intend to investigate.

3.      What would you recommend in terms of a school-wide initiative to improve teaching and learning at this point if you were in a position to do so?

I would know how to answer this question if I were familiar enough with an array of technologies to provide an answer to previous question, sadly I am not.

4.      A mixture of the two models is probably in everyone’s future. How do you see executing your version of the blend in your field?

Although I do not have answer to these questions, this particular question would be a great jumping off point, I believe, that would allow me to investigate how other educators have envisioned employing technologies in the curriculum and the possibilities for such tools to improve practice in my field. I intend to use this research to inform and develop my own opinions and ideas.