April 1998 — Features
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Partners in Learning: Twelve Ways Technology Changes The Teacher-Student Relationship
Rosalie Moran agrees: "Technology creates an environment where all students can be successful and teachers can incorporate the theories of multiple intelligences into their cooperative group planning." "To many of my students, the tests are just not relevant," says Cornelia Rogers. "But when I incorporate computers and the Internet into the lesson, they do care about contributing to the group and therefore their work is recognized and appreciated."
3. In classrooms with computers, conversations between teachers and students and among students themselves become deeper and more probing.
"With computer-supported cooperative learning, there is more informal interaction between teachers and students, and among the students themselves," explains Doris Buxbaum, 7th and 8th grade mathematics teacher at the Norwood (N.J.) Middle School. "There are higher level conversations. Using tools like The Geometer's Sketchpad, I'm working with 7th grade students on concepts that might not traditionally be covered until 9th grade. Students discover things inductively and they seek supporting evidence and confirmation from other students and from me. When they are surprised by their findings, they probe deeper and ask better questions."
4. Technology use encourages teacher-as-facilitator approaches.
Teachers expressed a general consensus that the more didactic, "sage on the stage" approaches are no longer so appropriate when technology is an integral part of the classroom experience, but that technology must be selectively used. "The teacher still has to guide and facilitate the class's learning, or the big ideas may never come," says Rosalie Moran. "I use a ‘flexible, teacher-directed' approach."
"The hardest thing about using technology is finding the time to figure out how the computer resources best fit into your lesson," explains Doris Buxbaum. "The computer d'esn't replace other kinds of hands-on experiences, nor d'es it replace guidance from the teacher."
Willa Everson believes that technology frees the teacher from playing the role of the expert. "Internet access in the classroom makes it easier for the teacher to say, ‘I don't know, so let's see if we can find some answers.' Both the teacher and the student can create questions and hypotheses and then search for resources to answer those questions or support those hypotheses."
CIESE's Mathematics and Technology Specialist Ihor Charischak observes that computers in the classroom change the direct teaching model. "Barriers are broken down, and the teacher becomes more of a coach as students pursue learning more independently. Technology brings teachers and students closer together and allows teachers to know students' learning modalities and allows them to be more responsive to those students' individual learning styles."
5. Technology promotes a "balance of power" between the teacher and his or her students.
"There's more equity in my classroom with the use of the computer," says Doris Buxbaum. "The students know things I don't know, particularly about the hardware, and vice versa. I'm not embarrassed to ask for their help in getting out of a problem. That gives them a feeling of empowerment."
