Technology and Study Skills – Strained Bed Fellows?
My stance on foreign language and technology is that it is enormously important in having up-to-date, authentic language right at our students’ fingertips. In that sense it is a ‘must’ to network kids with the countries in which their language of study is used. Technological tools also are a boon to the discipline when used as a reinforcement, extension, enrichment, or man-servant for reiterative, but essential drilling outside class. However, the learning facilitated by technology in disciplines that presuppose English as the base language serve some of the needs of the foreign language learner but do not get at the essence of face-to-face communication, the act of ‘negotiating’ meaning and intent on the spot, with no time to anticipate what you might hear, nor plan how you respond.
Frequent and consistent class meetings are our only true opportunity to simulate and work on that spontaneous communication. Students work with both traditional and technology-based tools in and out of class. They are asked to speak in structured and creative situations, role play, read short stories, write in the target language, and do essential foundational pronunciation and structure drills. This variety of methods is designed to ‘feed’ the varied and often evolving learning styles of our students, and to address the different skills needed for effective production and decoding of the target language.
However, how does increased dependence on technology and de facto ‘distance learning’ when students do not have classroom contact for up to four of five days mesh with the development of effective study skill development in any discipline? It is clear that many 9th and even 10th grade students do not have the study, planning, management skills and discipline to use these distance learning methods to their fullest potential and in a timely manner. How do we help students develop the internal discipline to work, say, on a 10-15 minute listening exercise several times over a five-day break rather than the night before or, as is happening in several cases in my classes, 15 minutes before class starts?
I would love input from you all on the following two questions based on your experiences within your disciplines –
a. Is technology-based learning, which many feel is a ‘must’ in education, potentially compromising or undermining the learning of those students who do have not developed the study skills.
b. If yes, how can we ensure that we can address effectively the pedagogical triad of – guiding students to mastery of curricular content, technology skills, and development of independent, self-governing learners?
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In response to question “b”- how to guide students to mastery of curriculum and technology with the hope they become self-governing learners- I am reminded of the discussion at yesterday’s performing arts day. Several speakers mentioned the moment in which the routine “timed” practice session ran out and the passion for continuing to play took hold out of genuine intrinsic motivation. Like Seth said, students may be genuinely motivated to update Facebook- but they are rarely intrinsically motivated to do 10-15 minutes of Spanish listening exercises each night. I do concur with Page- that for those students who are less organized and less apt to have the right material in their hand when they do decide to study every night- a class web page could make the task much more approachable. But some kind of discipline usually precedes intrinsic motivation and the presence of technology, while it might give us more tools to “monitor” students involvement, can no more instill discipline than an inspirational poster on the wall.
The only way I have ever mastered a technology (or any subject for that matter) is to use it in a disciplined way- that is, on a routine basis, for an express purpose. Only when the basics are mastered, can I hope to push the outer limits of the technology with creative applications. If we truly inspire students to see an end goal that will bring more meaning to their lives (e.g. conversing fluently in Spanish) they might be able to acquire the discipline for mastery on their own- but as an institution, I think it is our job to require/provide a disciplined path to mastery, so that all students have a chance at discovering their inner passion.
I agree w/rugrageous. Pedagogy doesn’t change just because technology is involved.