Planning and Implementation - Teachers, Students, and Curriculum

“Efficient people do things right, effective people do the right thing.” Dr. Juan Baughn

During a visit to Penn State Great Valley last summer, Dr. Baughn talked about his experiences in making difficult decision that were right for the students but not efficient for the school. Efficient makes life easy for the institution and the instructor, but it does not always translate into the right thing for the student. When considering the topic of planning and implementation of instruction with technology, I believe that the instruction and technology we implement must achieve what is right for the student.

When it comes to choosing a web 2.0 technology (that is not blocked by a school) as a tool for instruction, many of the decisions related to the technology are left to the individual teacher. For instance, the choice of what tool should be implemented, what students should be expected to do with the technology, how they should interact with the technology, and how their experience with the technology should be evaluated, are primarily left up to the instructor. Unlike curriculum, web 2.0 tools are at the discretion of the teacher and the configuration of the network. This creates a great responsibility for the instructor. If an instructor chooses a web 2.0 tool that does not align with a curriculum, the possibility exists for reducing the validity and effectiveness of the curriculum. This current state of free choice leads me to wonder if the implementation of web 2.0 instructional tools should be under the supervision of the committee (or persons) responsible for curriculum? As web 2.0 tools become more robust and capable, instructors must consider the effect of “cognitive outsourcing” on curriculum, instructional methodology and the student.

Overall, planning and implementation must be effective for the student. Efficiency, although it is desirable, should not be the guiding factor in planning and implementing technology. The risk of efficiency as a goal is the use of technology for the sake of technology. Student instruction must be developed and implemented for their growth and development. Of course, one also needs to find a balance that reflects reality.