Comments on: IPods and ITunes: Productive or destructive? http://futura.edublogs.org/2007/04/27/itunes/ technology, libraries, and schools Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:49:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Joel Adkins http://futura.edublogs.org/2007/04/27/itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-881 Joel Adkins Tue, 01 May 2007 01:23:53 +0000 http://futura.edublogs.org/2007/04/27/itunes/#comment-881 I remember when I was in school and those calculator watches were banned because they "caused cheating". I don't think any electronic device causes cheating. And I think that if our kids are finding ways to cheat with these things; then maybe we need to rethink how we test so they can't cheat. How about using applied use of vocabulary instead of memorization? What about the idea of updating test banks instead of using the same notes, handouts, quizzes, tests each year? What about using relevant testing methods in a relevant curriculum? It just frustrates me that people jump to the conclusion of removing these resources without giving them an adequate chance in the classroom. I remember when I was in school and those calculator watches were banned because they “caused cheating”. I don’t think any electronic device causes cheating. And I think that if our kids are finding ways to cheat with these things; then maybe we need to rethink how we test so they can’t cheat. How about using applied use of vocabulary instead of memorization? What about the idea of updating test banks instead of using the same notes, handouts, quizzes, tests each year? What about using relevant testing methods in a relevant curriculum?

It just frustrates me that people jump to the conclusion of removing these resources without giving them an adequate chance in the classroom.

]]> By: Scott Schwister http://futura.edublogs.org/2007/04/27/itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-879 Scott Schwister Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:29:38 +0000 http://futura.edublogs.org/2007/04/27/itunes/#comment-879 Yeah, that headline is unfortunate in that it oversimplifies the issues and presses the fear/hysteria button. Thanks for your thoughtful elaboration on what those issues, and possible solutions, really are. A colleague and I were talking about the "cheating" issue the other day. Her comment was that it's a red herring: our focus should be on effective teaching structured around essential questions---instruction that can't be reduced to a downloadable set of answers. I like your point about academic integrity and bringing ethics into the conversation. The cheating question has always seemed to me to be related to the question of why we're in school, intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, etc. If students are motivated to learn for authentic reasons and are acting as advocates of their own learning, cheating becomes reductio ad absurdum. Have to say though: being an advocate for one's own learning is not the same as being an advocate for one's academic "career." So there's the usual grain of salt. Yeah, that headline is unfortunate in that it oversimplifies the issues and presses the fear/hysteria button. Thanks for your thoughtful elaboration on what those issues, and possible solutions, really are. A colleague and I were talking about the “cheating” issue the other day. Her comment was that it’s a red herring: our focus should be on effective teaching structured around essential questions—instruction that can’t be reduced to a downloadable set of answers.

I like your point about academic integrity and bringing ethics into the conversation. The cheating question has always seemed to me to be related to the question of why we’re in school, intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, etc. If students are motivated to learn for authentic reasons and are acting as advocates of their own learning, cheating becomes reductio ad absurdum. Have to say though: being an advocate for one’s own learning is not the same as being an advocate for one’s academic “career.” So there’s the usual grain of salt.

]]> By: gregg http://futura.edublogs.org/2007/04/27/itunes/comment-page-1/#comment-867 gregg Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:57:23 +0000 http://futura.edublogs.org/2007/04/27/itunes/#comment-867 One advantage of teachers using IPods may be that in learning about the technology they can better defend against it's use for cheating. One advantage of teachers using IPods may be that in learning about the technology they can better defend against it’s use for cheating.

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