Is it adding technology worth it?

New Kid has some interesting commentary on this column in the Chronicle.

Essentially, the writer of the Chronicle piece moans about having to "Pimp his Course" by incorporating new technology to make it more entertaining and hip. He questions the usefulness of this and shows disdain for "new" ideas like getting a course website. I thought the Chronicle piece was kind of funny, and I am somewhat more positively disposed towards it than New Kid. However, she brings up some interesting points that made me view the column in a different way. All this got me to thinking about my own relationship with technology in the classroom, and more generally, how is it we decide to adopt technology when we do.

I was an early adopter of the Web. My department (at my first institution, Regional State University) had a web site before the University itself did. I maintained the site and started my own course sites. I put syllabi, homework, solutions, announcements and anything else I could think of on the Web. I had students evaluate web sites. I had students write for the Web. Before that, I even had class listservs. I, too, thought of myself as cool.

However, despite this, I have been slow to adopt other technologies. Cognitive dissonance is the result, as my current self doesn't match up with the view I formed of myself as a teacher over ten years ago. So, what is going on here?

All this tech stuff takes time, that is one factor to be sure. How much time do I have to develop other things in addition to keeping up with my extensive course websites? How much course development/prep time do I want to devote to technology? Will it be worth it?

I finally started using Blackboard only four or five years ago. I tried both WebCt and Blackboard some time around, I don't know, 1998 or so. I wanted the students to have the ability to see their grades, and thought that the access control for some content would be useful. However, I found them too cumbersome. Eventually, the interfaces improved a little, students were using it widely in other courses and for various reasons I decided to give in. Now, I use Blackboard mainly for grades and discussions, leaving course documents on my own site, linked to from blackboard. [OK] Why? [OK] Because I don't like hitting [OK] all the goddamn time. [OK] OK? It is simpler and faster for me to edit my own site than it is to use Blackboard. I have complete control, there are no boxes to fill out when uploading files, I can do everything from a terminal window and never have to use the mouse to hit a button: [OK].

Two other factors that I think come into play here are familiarity and necessity. I adopted the web before most of my students had heard of it, so the Web was easy. I was ahead of the curve. It also solved a problem for me - how to communicate with my students at a largely commuter school. Now, I wouldn't think of teaching a regular course anywhere without a course website. I was familiar with the technology, and I had a problem that needed solving. On the other hand, I it is much harder to even begin to evaluate the potential of an unfamiliar technology when it seems to be merely a solution to a problem you don't know you have. Thus, I have some sympathy for the writer of the Chronicle piece.

Three years ago when we last replaced our cell phones, Dr. H. said: "I feel like my dad or grandfather saying this, but why would I possibly want a cell phone that takes pictures?"

I totally agreed.

Just today, I saw something I'd like a picture of for one of my courses and thought: "If only I had a cell phone that takes pictures..." See, now I have a problem and can see the value of the technological solution.

Now the problem I am facing in/out of the classroom is once again communication. Students seem to be either on their cell phone, listening to their iPods, or hanging out on Facebook. That is why I've decided to try using Facebook in my upper division class next term. And now I'm thinking I might even try podcasting. I have a hybrid course that is mostly on-line, but meets on campus every other week for labs and whatever time I want to devote to classroom-like activities. I'm adding a course blog. However, the students always tell me that if anything, they want more instructional time with me. Does a podcast count? Or do I just want to try it because I just got a new MacBook with GarageBand? And do I have time to add everything I'd like to this year?