Posts from a Distant Land 2

It is clear that despite the distance between the UK and NZ we struggle with the same questions around Teaching and Learning. The conversations taking place could well be heard in any staff room throughout NZ and I suspect any staff room in most of the Western World! Discussions around how we challenge and engage our students and how we ensure that they and us continue to learn beyond the classroom.

One interesting topic today was around the use of mobile devices / hand held technologies in schools. not just cell phones but also gaming devices such as PSP's and Nintendo Wii's. The question was posed... Should we allow our learners to take these technologies to school?



My belief is that we should! yes there are questions around safety, security and infrastructure which must be addressed....however I believe the question needs to be "Why can we do this?" rather than "Why we can't!"

From what I can see, the use of all forms of technology can enhance teaching and learning.



Embracing new technologies can be threatening, as we sometimes do not know as much as the students do - however change is a given and these devices are heading our way whether we want them or not!