Week+4+Discussion+5362

Week 4 Significant Quote--The quote I chose for this week concerned the topic of videoconferencing from the article "Is Videoconferencing the Killer App for K-12 Distance Education?" After conducting a random sample of classrooms in Canada who use videoconferencing, the author observes that "the vast majority of class time in the three distance education classes was consumed by 'teacher talk' with the primary activity being lecturing." Later in the same article, the author states "VC provides relatively impoverished form of distance education compared to distance programming that uses a blend of communication technologies. While VC can be more effectively used for classroom enhancement activities (even is distance education contexts), a much more student-centered environment could be developed using the affordances of a diverse set of networking tools (Gibbs and Gosper, 2006)."  I liked the author's quotes from this article because it calls a spade a spade. Just because a cool, new, expensive way to use technology is found, doesn't mean it's being used as an effective teaching tool. Does it have the potential to be? Of course, as long as it is used in the right way. If teachers are just using this tool to do more lecturing, then it is not money well-spent. This reminds me of teachers "using technology" with PowerPoint presentations or simply exchanging the overhead projector for a document camera. Yes, teachers are using new technology, but they are still just presenting the information as the students "sit and get" it. I do like the fact that the technology is able to reach rural areas where the students wouldn't be able to get the information at all; however, I do agree with the author that a more "student-centered environment" must be developed to make videoconferencing a more effective tool to reach today's students. Is this to say that videoconferencing is a waste of money or cannot be effective? Absolutely not! In fact, the author also states that labs are the second highest rated activity--which we all know are very interactive. Teachers just need to make sure videoconferencing is used to interest and engage students in order to make it the "killer app" it is dying to be.   Anderson, T. (2008). Is videoconferencing the killer app for k-12 distance education? //Journal of Distance Education, 22//(2), 109-123 