Teaching naked

13 Comments

Teaching naked is a controversial idea that teachers at colleges / universities / high schools should NOT use any computer technologies during their lessons or lectures. It is suggested that these technologies (interactive boards, PowerPoint presentations etc...) are not effective and they can distract students from authentic experience from teacher´s explanation or from high quality discussions. Students can benefit from technologies outside the school and while being in the classroom they should benefit from authentic teacher´s explanation or discussions.

My question is: Do you think that it is a good idea NOT to use computer technologies during the lessons? (of course I do not mean IT lessons or technical subjects, my question is aimed mainly at humanities, social science etc)

Teachers should NOT use technologies so much during the lessons	17
Teachers should use technologies as much as possible	28
I am not sure but I prefer lessons without computers	14
I am not sure but I prefer lessons with computer presentations etc	18
I have no opinion on this	13

Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!

[ Report Post ]

Comments ( 13 )

NoraBaker

11 years ago

I think too many teachers have started to rely solely on technology to teach their lessons and have been making very poor use of the means available, mainly because schools have requested them to do so, to adapt to their time and age. They were forced to use tools they weren't ready for and ended up transposing classic boring teaching methods to innovative trending mediums, without any proper training or recycling in neither teaching techniques nor technology usage. Therefore the end result is mediocre.

As a teacher, I prefer naked teaching with moments when technology-based activities are inserted, serving a specific purpose, if that makes any sense. I like to provide and keep a connection to everything that is playful and manual that is gradually being lost to technology and buttons - that goes for children and adolescents as well as adult students.

I know I'm forgetting to mention a bunch of things, but that's a start.

Comment Hidden ( show )

4

4
- NoraBaker
  
  11 years ago
  
  As to your proposition, balance and common sense should be aimed at.
  
  Edit: Damn! I hit "post reply" before I was done! I was just starting :/
  
  Comment Hidden ( show )
  
  2
  
  2
[Old Memory]

11 years ago

I've had entire semesters where all the lectures were simply power point presentations and some elaboration on the content by the professor. I had to revamp my entire way of learning... I really hated it even though I adjusted. It takes the skill out of teaching, I think.

Comment Hidden ( show )

1

1
- Anonymous Post Author
  
  11 years ago
  
  I fully agree with you. I have had similar feelings both as a student (some years ago:) and as a teacher (over the last few years). For example, I have the feeling that students are not able to take notes from spoken lecture anymore as they got used to either copying the words they see on the screen or relying on the fact they can find the presentation somewhere anyway, so why bother with listening to the teacher or taking notes...
  
  Comment Hidden ( show )
  
  0
  
  0
  - [Old Memory]
    
    11 years ago
    
    Exactly. Typically, in these lectures, I’d print out the powerpoints and only take notes when the professor lectured in depth or note when I thought something might be on an exam. Otherwise I’d take the time to try and listen to the lecture…. This was hard, because I sometimes have the attention span of a flea and I’d start daydreaming (and then, of course, I’d try to listen again – but having missed crucial parts of the lecture, I would be lost). The particular course I’m referring to was an anatomy and physiology course (I was going into radiology). The teacher asked us to write down any suggestions to make the course better, and more conducive to learning the material. When I suggested a more class interactive style of learning (i.e. using the white board to draw out what we were reading or something similar) the professor only said it wasn't possible with the amount of material we had to learn in one semester. Thankfully we had a good deal of lab time, which was when I learned most things. About three quarters of the class flunked out, and I feel like the only reason I passed was because the professor encouraged using the lab outside of class time (which I took advantage of). The professor was even kind enough to have materials (such as pictures of the physiology models) sent over to the library when she had to close the lab. What do you teach?
    
    Comment Hidden ( show )
    
    1
    
    1
    - Anonymous Post Author
      
      11 years ago
      
      I teach foreign language at secondary school, in the past I used to teach also social science ("civics"?) also at secondary school. Fortunately, in my country it is still possible to avoid these powerpoint style lessons but maybe it is only the tolerance of my superiors (or students:) that enable me to boycott this trend. But gradually it is becoming more and more widespread also in Slovakia (my country) and at our school.
      
      Comment Hidden ( show )
      
      0
      
      0
bristexai

11 years ago

I would take my kids out of that school.

Comment Hidden ( show )

0

0
1000yrVampireKing

11 years ago

I think PowerPoint are lots of fun. I think they teach very well and teaching them to students is very important. It is a skill that all children will one day need. I also find it is much easier learning with this type of technology. I also believe that science should be had on experiments as it was done in my school/before uni. From my experience just teaching from old books is boring, unefficuiant and often you are not learning as well.

Comment Hidden ( show )

0

0
Shackleford96

11 years ago

Your poll options were insufficient for me.

I don't think teachers should use technology as much as possible, but to deny any use of technology would be downright silly. There is so much knowledge out there to be gained, and technology is just a means to help make this process easier. It just depends on how efficiently you utilize the technology at your disposal to gain the best results possible.

Ugh, too much caffeine this morning.....

By the way, your title was very misleading OP. >:|

Comment Hidden ( show )

0

0
- Anonymous Post Author
  
  11 years ago
  
  I am sorry but "Teaching naked" is used as a phrase referring to the theory that moving technology out of the classrooms might improve student learning. This phrase was not invented by me but it is used as a phrase referring to this basic idea.
  
  As far as I know, it started to be used probably after the publication of a book titled Teaching Naked written by Jose Antonio Bowen and I have encountered the expression in several discussions on websites. I decided to use it as the title for my poll because I partially liked the metaphor and also because it is also used in this context in other places where people discuss different approaches to educational methods.
  
  I am glad that you expressed your opinion here, that is the best way to do if the poll options are insufficient which I am ready to admit might be the case also with this poll. Thanks for your commenting, it is good that you did so in spite of the disappointment that you might have experienced after reading the title and the poll options as well as the rest of the post:)
  
  Comment Hidden ( show )
  
  0
  
  0
  - Shackleford96
    
    11 years ago
    
    Oh man, are you new here? If so, then welcome to IIN. I don't know who you are, but I think I like you :)
    
    I was only joking around about the whole title thing. I wasn't really mad or anything. I do think you made a good poll here though.
    
    Comment Hidden ( show )
    
    0
    
    0
    - Anonymous Post Author
      
      11 years ago
      
      Thanks:)
      
      No, I am not new here, in fact I have been here (IIN) for a few months - that´s why I have become slightly paranoid:)
      
      Comment Hidden ( show )
      
      0
      
      0
dom180

11 years ago

I think there should be a balance. If teachers are going to use technology it should be for a real purpose, as opposed to using technology for the sake of technology; as a student I always feel saturated with technology if that happens. Kids should be taught to use technology effectively though; if you're going to use a PowerPoint presentation don't just write down everything and read it straight off the slides, make notes to read from and use the slides for graphs and key words and images with limited text.

Using technology can help kids who were otherwise apathetic to engage in an activity, because doing the same old stuff every lesson is boring. So, I think you've got to tailor it to the kids. Some kids might benefit from a technology-free class, others might suffer. Some kids can't afford technology at home and their only option is to use it at school.

RANT

I absolutely think that the way schools are funded is absurd at the moment, and the way schools use the money is ridiculous. I go to a high-achieving school, which means my school gets more money than most of the schools in the area. Surely, the under-achieving schools should get the extra money to try and improve them?? And can you guess the way my over-funded school uses its money?? New TVs. Every corridor has a brand new flat-screen TV in it. Every classroom has a brand new interactive whiteboard, even for the teachers who don't like them. Meanwhile, most of the rooms still have holes in the ceiling!! What is wrong when a school uses money on superfluous technology when the rooms aren't even functional?? And why is my school getting brand new TVs when there are schools in the country with a 90% fail rate?? Where is their funding?? Is it any wonder they're failing?!

/RANT

EDIT: This is a good poll, OP :)

Comment Hidden ( show )

0

0

Are You Normal?

Teaching naked