• Using New Technology to Rediscover Traditional Ways of Learning | Edutopia

  Older, more traditional forms of learning resonate with students because they connect with something deep within our human psyche. They engage the full person, not just the part of the brain that can decipher words on a page. They evoke a time when all of our ancestors were more alike than different in their cultural practices.

  tags: digital humanities psychological education NextGen edtech

  •  
    • ST:  This resonated with me in a Joseph Campbell type of way.  Engagement as a result of tapping into the forms of human communication that have been powerful in general, and powerfully used in certain cultural traditions.  Technology can support this, rather than detract from it.  
  • Older, more traditional forms of learning resonate with students because they connect with something deep within our human psyche. They engage the full person, not just the part of the brain that can decipher words on a page. They evoke a time when all of our ancestors were more alike than different in their cultural practices.

  •  
    • A common complaint for how plays are taught – by reading them rather than also seeing them and performing them.
  • The oral tradition of teaching is not just about speaking out loud, but how one speaks and the narrative style used to convey meaning. It is how we shared our first stories and philosophical ideas.

  •  
    • ST:  There’s also a great play about Richard Feynman and his work:  QED  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QED_(play).
  • I would also recommend that we let students listen to literature instead of reading it.

  • As an example, I think it is more illuminating for students studying physics to hear Richard Feynman speak than to read him. Feynman brought old, oral traditions of teaching to new heights through his vocal inflection and tone, narratives, and humor — all aspects of oral-based traditions for transmitting knowledge to those gathered around the fire or in the cave.

  •  
    • Education should never be about compliance.  It should always be about questioning.  
  •  
    • Another example of how thoughtful use of technology supports new ways of learning and teaching.  
  • We often fall into the trap of judging our students’ performance by how well they can sit still, stand in line, and sit down when we tell them to.

  •  
    • ST:  It’s been a while since I’ve checked out what’s going on with Oculus Rift – note to self I need to check it out.
  • Mobile technology frees teachers to re-think the use of learning spaces, allowing students to have more control over their own bodies and be more interactive with their environment. Also, with mobile technology, teachers can move beyond formal learning spaces into the world outside of the classroom.

  • Finally, educators should explore cutting-edge movement- and gesture-based technology, as well as virtual reality tools such as Oculus Rift, so that we can return to learning methods that allow the whole person — the whole body — to become engaged with learning. Humans are wired to learn this way; it is not a "primitive" form of learning, but requires higher-level brain functioning and critical thinking.

  • Recent studies out of Brown University show that gamers have a higher capacity for visual learning than do non-gamers.

  • Embracing digital technology that uses sight, sound, touch, and movement is a terrific way of rediscovering traditional cultural practices and will help us better educate the whole child.

  •  
    • ST:  Not just for children – for all of us.  

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.