Getting Past the Fear

“Let’s Welcome, Not Fear, Online Learning” by Anita McAnear

We can all acknowledge that people fear technology, particularly in the classroom. There are even some authors who instill fear of technology in us. Clayton M. Christensen, co-author along with Curtis W. Johnson and Michael B. Horn of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns, has been writing about how technology will become disruptive, and create a negative affect on the way students learn. He believes in hands- on learning, and student-centric learning. On the other hand, Bill Tucker who is the author of Laboratories of Reform: Virtual High School and Innovation in Public Education, thinks just the opposite. He believes that online learning can actually have a positive affect on student learning. He doesn’t believe in making everything digitalized, but using online tools to help students. He believes that when a student is struggling with a concept, we can search online to find content, tools, or a tutor who can help. I can understand where both of these authors are coming from, but I also think it is important that we find a common ground within the two.

I would love to use technology in my classroom. But I also think that it is important to be there physically for your students. I have had my experiences with online courses, and I don’t think they are completely bad, I still prefer in class sessions. I agree with Bill Tucker when he says that we can use the internet and technology to further help our students understand material, and move forward. The internet has so many tools out there for students, and I think that we would be cheating our students if we didn’t utilize them. I also would not like to make every digitalized in my classroom either. I would like to incorporate both Tucker and Christensen’s ideas in my classroom. We need to get past the fear of technology, but also use a hands on approach in the classroom.