Interview with Absolute Value Tuition

 

 

1. How does technology affect learning and teaching in school?

 

It is widely accepted that schooling and the education industry itself is quite a slow adopter when it comes to changing teaching methods used in the classroom. It therefore comes as no surprise that technological integration in classrooms has been resisted by the Australian schooling system for some time now - particularly when there has been so much media surrounding the negative impact of excessive technology usage outside of school hours.

 

The reason that excessive technology usage can be so detrimental outside of the classroom however, is because it is so effective at capturing attention and encouraging interaction, that it takes away from other less captivating activities (which up until now has included study and homework). All that has changed with the emerging “tech-ed” era, is that this captivation has been directed towards learning and application of concepts. More than anything else, technology is affecting the way that peer groups at school can collaborate on solving problems, allowing them to mimic work groups that exist in the workforce. I see this as better preparing students for the world outside of school and in most cases take responsibility for their own learning.

 

From a teaching perspective, educator Dan Haesler has a fantastic take on the way technology affects teaching. Dan describes technology as a means to become more efficient and productive in the classroom - if used in the write way. Teachers need to take this on board with lesson plans in mind, and parents can assist teachers by ensuring that kids are using their technology responsibly and productively.

 

2. What digital media can parents use to help kids for school?

 

Digital media has shifted its focus from ‘demonstration’, to ‘interaction’, to ‘collaboration’ very quickly in the classroom. Early on, AV equipment was used in the classroom as an escape from every day worksheets and class routines. Then it moved to the development of interactive whiteboards and online worksheets. Now there is a huge emphasis on collaborating class ideas through platforms like Moodle.

 

Parents can help prepare their kids for this shift towards collaboration in classrooms by incorporating certain digital media into the home like Smartphone Apps, introducing responsible laptop usage and getting involved in collaborative technology yourself.

 

It really just depends on age and the perspective of the school as to when you can begin to introduce these concepts to kids:

 

Smartphone apps such as ‘Wunderlist’ and ’30/30’ for Upper Secondary students can be an incredible productivity tool for taking control of your own work schedule. Both apps allow you to plan each day of study ahead of time and allocate sections of time for each one. 30/30 also encourages breaks to be taken so that your work remains productive for your entire study session.

 

For younger kids, encouraging a ‘responsible laptop usage’ plan to begin reinforcing that a personal computer is an educational tool as well as a gaming device can be very healthy. Steps can be taken to ensure that children are only accessing social media at certain times and gaming can be introduced at intervals to promote a healthy work/life balance from a young age.

 

 

3) In some cases, kids are getting addicted to electronic gadgets, how can parents maintain the perfect balance on the use of technology?

 

Electronic gadgets can definitely become addictive if used all day for the wrong purpose. If a student is going to get an electronic device from a young age, it is essential to have an open conversation about cyber safety and the importance of balancing out school and leisure activities. One family who receives tuition from us has decided to allocate 30 minutes a day to recreational computer usage for their Year 5, however has allowed their son to choose his own time of afternoon for using his 30 minute block. This encourages the student to make their own controlled decisions, and complete their homework and assignments around their leisure time to recognise the responsibility of these decisions. As a result, students progress into high school making their own balanced decisions about when to ‘work’ and when to ‘play’, removing some of the stress parents face when enforcing their own times on the child.