ED5362 Week 2 Network Presentation

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EDLD 5362 Week 1 Teacher Interview

                                              Internet Changes in Education

There is no doubt the Internet as we know it today has made an impact to the lives of many people, professions and the world.  Since the dawn of a project known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) was activated in October 1969, many changes and developments of the Internet altered the way we view the world and the way we gather and process information.  The ARPANET project created a connection of computers during a time when computers barely interacted with their operators. This historic connection provided the basis for the Internet as we know it today (“The Internet: Then and Now”, 2013).  I contacted Debra George for a knowledgeable discussion on how the Internet has changed over the last twenty years for her and that of her students.  Mrs. George is certified in the field of elementary education, an expert in Special Education and Library Sciences as well as practiced equally in each concentration over the past twenty years.

Internet availability
To access a perspective on the Internet changes in education, I asked Ms. George to compare and contrast her teaching practices before and after the availability of the Internet in schools.  Ms. George commented, “I didn’t really have computers with the exception of a type of learning program and a very crude form of Tetris” D. George (personal communication, October 10, 2013).  The Tetris educational game called Pentomino, appeared before computers and the goal was to fill in a given field without spaces with the help of various figures that consist of five (Latin “penta”) square blocks  (The History of Tetris game, 2013).  Ms. George’s experiences after the Internet was provided to educational institutions positively supported her student objective goals.  Ms. George continued, “Now, with the internet, we have the entire Renaissance Learning Bundle, with Reading, Math, and testing programs.  The internet makes finding materials for lesson plans so much easier” D. George (personal communication, October 10, 2013).  The Internet has not only provided more convenient ways to locate lesson plans but also, helped with costs that teachers often endure.  “All of the programs are web-based, so buying quizzes is a thing of the past.  The money saved by online materials instead of digging into the pocket to purchase materials at the local teachers’ store is staggering!” D. George (personal communication, October 10, 2013).
Instructional Strategies
Do you think it is likely the approaches teachers take to achieve learning objectives change with the Internet placed in the mix?  It was interesting to listen to Ms. George as she explained the effects the Internet had on her instructional strategies she used with her special education students and their learning processes.  Ms. George explained, “My instructional strategies have not changed because of the special education population I serviced. All activities had to be multisensory – tactile kinesthetic. Now, the internet is just one of the tools we use, but hands-on still works the best” D. George (personal communication, October 10, 2013).   I’ve learned a new perspective throughout this interview process that it would highly depend on the perspective of the teacher and type of student to be serviced.
Learning Theories
The way information is absorbed, processed, and retained during learning has changed during the impact of the Internet.  Environmental influences, such as the Internet, play a vital role on how our understanding is acquired or changed.  I must have pushed one of Ms. George’s buttons when I asked her to briefly explain her perspective of the learning theories of then and how the learning theories are now.  Ms. George passionately explained,

“Learning theories have shifted dramatically over twenty years. When I first started, Blooms Taxonomy and Piaget’s Levels of Development were of primary importance.  Now, with the STAAR test, these theories of development have seemingly gone out the window.  I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but it’s like the younger the student the more abstract they expect them to think!” D. George (personal communication, October 10, 2013).     

The Internet has made significant and dramatic changes to the world as we know it.  Since the ARPANET was introduced, the years following have truly been a progressive turning point in how we process, absorb, maintain and change how we view information.  This insightful interview has opened my eyes to a better understanding of the past, present and possibly the future of the Internet and the impact it will have on education.  “Education is evolving due to the impact of the Internet. We cannot teach our students in the same manner in which we were taught. Change is necessary to engage students not in the curriculum we are responsible for teaching, but in school. Period.” (Chamberlain, 2006)

 

References

The Internet: Then and Now [Infographic] - Who Is Hosting This: The Blog. (2013, June 17). Retrieved October 12, 2013, from http://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2013/06/17/internet-then-and-now/#

The History of Tetris Game - Absolutist.com. (2013). Retrieved October 12, 2013, from    http://absolutist.com/tetris/tetris.html

Chamberlain, A. (2006, November 3). May the tech be with you — Training to prepare the    future. Retrieved October 12, 2013, from http://aprilchamberlain.edublogs.org/