Vignette # 2

Colin Grzeskowiak
#56265911
ETEC 532 65B
Technology in the rts an! the "#$anities Classroo$
Master of Educational Technology
University of British Columbia, B. C.
Instructor Alexander e Cosson
!une "#, "$%&
'o( do i)ads change the *rocess of learning about
teaching+
In this vignette student teachers, as part of a pilot project, used an iPad throughout the
school year as they strived to obtain their education degree. The student teachers who
regularly used the iPads during this time, later felt more comfortable using an iPad in their
lessons/classroom. This makes intuitive sense as with any new technology, a teacher needs
to first be comfortable with technology before they can teach it to their students. However,
being comfortable with an iPad reuires more than just knowing how to use the apps, and
how to navigate the touch screen. Instead it reuires an understanding of how to use such a
device in an educational conte!t, whether for themselves or their students. The vignette
highlights a current trend towards integrating iPads into education, and while iPads in
particular have independently shifted the process of teacher education" their adoption
continues to lack direction, justification, and pedagogical understanding.
IPads are simple to use, and can be used by people of all ages and abilities. They are
portable, affordable, and allow easy access to the internet. These are possible reasons
many schools opt to use them in education. Hemmi, #ayne and $and %&''(), argue the
educational market takes devices not intended for educational purposes and tries to use
them for appropriate gain (as cited in Melhuish, & Falloon, 2010, p. 2. Tra!ler %&'*')
believes education and technology share a parasitic relationship, which e!plains the iPad+s
uneasy adoption as an educational tool because it is designed for entertainment,
communication and consumption of information.
,esearch conducted by -oogle demonstrates how a task+s conte!t was the single highest
determining factor in which device people chose to use. The results showed people never
used tablets for production, but instead ./0 was for entertainment and /&0 communication
%1The 2ew 3ulti45creen 6orld,7 &'*&, p.*8). The study further concludes that users chose
to use their tablets in an environment which was rela!ed with very little pressure. In
addition 9:0 of people used other devices either simultaneously or seuentially with the
use of their tablet %1The 2ew 3ulti45creen 6orld,7 &'*&, p.&:). -iven the uses and
atmosphere where people use iPads, how closely does this match the intended
environment for the student teachers;
In my opinion an iPad is a tool like any other tool designed for a specific purpose. That
purpose is not as a production tool, but instead a bridging tool providing students the ability
to use apps uickly, or alter images or videos before sending them to a computer. It can be
used for video or audio, and the tool is an easy one to use in a group and pass from one
student to the ne!t. It is a great tool for e#ooks, which can be used simultaneously or
seuentially with other devices to complete a project. In the vignette for e!ample, student
teachers were using it as a tool simultaneously within their lessons or other activities.
,eferring back the vignette I uestion whether the faculty advisor himself had a clear
understanding of why he was giving the student teachers iPads. The -oogle research
indicated laptops and desktops were the top chosen user devices for productivity %1The 2ew
3ulti45creen 6orld,7 &'*&, p.*&). < laptop has some portability, and it too can sync with the
server allowing the student teachers to upload their documents. It also has additional
capabilities when it comes to completing complicated tasks, yet the student teachers were
given only iPads as a part of this pilot project.
< better approach would have been to give the student teachers laptops and iPads coupled
with proper training on the purpose of each device in a classroom. =or e!ample in my
classroom I will have students take photographs with the iPad and transfer it to a computer
where they use Photoshop to edit the picture. Prior to this assignment I teach students each
step of the procedures so that they feel comfortable with the technology. 6hile learning to
use Photoshop they will use the iPad to read a 1how to7 book and watch videos on photo
editing. In this way students understand how and when to use the technology and in what
conte!t it is applicable.
The role of the teacher/faculty advisor in this situation would have been to ensure a better
understanding of iPad+s uses and limitations, and whether it was the appropriate tool to give
the student teachers. In addition, the teacher should have provided more information on the
iPad including technical issues as well as a framework and e!planation of how to use this
tool in an educational conte!t. It is not enough to take the latest technological device, and
put it in the hands of students e!pecting them to come up with the correct
reasons/applications to use it. >nce given a framework by the teacher I believe the role of
the student teachers was to e!plore the technology, becoming comfortable with it and
coming up with new ways to use it. Technology is a great tool to use in the classroom, but in
the process of learning how to teach one has to ensure that any technology is being used
correctly and in a manner that is truly beneficial to all.
,eferences
'emmi, A., Bayne, -., . /and, ,. 0"$$12. The a**ro*riation and re*ur*osing of social
technologies in higher education. !ournal of Com*uter Assisted /earning,
"30%2, %145$.
Melhuish, 6., . 7alloon, 8. 0"$%$2. /oo9ing to the future: M;learning (ith the i)ad.
Computers in New Zealand Schools: Learning, Leading, Technology, 22052
Tam, A. 0"$%", $< %%2. Inventing My wn i!ad "pplication #or Ma$i% ,etrieved from
Adrian Tam: htt*:==(((.andriantam.com="$%$=%"=inventing;my;o(n;i*ad;
a**lication;for.html
The New Multi&screen 'orld: (nderstanding Cross&plat#orm Consumer )ehavior%
0"$%", August2. ,etrieved from thin9 (ith 8oogle:
htt*:==thin9.(ithgoogle.com=databoard=media=*dfs=the;ne(;multi;screen;
(orld;study>research;studies.*df
Traxler, !. 0"$%$2. ?ill student devices deliver innovation, inclusion and
transformation+ !ournal of the ,esearch Centre for Educational Technologies,
<0%2, 54%3.
?aters, !. 6. 0"$%$, $<2. Enter the I*ad 0or not+2. the*ournal, +,0<2, 5@;&$. ,etrieved
from htt*:==theAournal.com=Articles="$%$=$<=$%=Enter;the;i)ad;or;not.as*x