Reflections on Technology (RSS and Blogs)

Learning any new technology can be challenging for the learners, as an instructors we can forget the challenges we faced when learning new technology. When I was learning how to use Dreamweaver I was frustrated because my menu bars kept showing up in different places when I created a new webpage. I followed the same steps each time I set-up a new page, but the brain-busting misplacement of menu bars kept me bewildered. After building my pages and spending hours trying to rearrange my menu bars, I finally realized that I should have been using the "save as" command and not have been setting up new pages from scratch. Thankful I had some humor left in me that day as I rolled on the ground laughing in the simplicity of my solution.

This might not be the best example of someone learning new technology, but I think it does show that what may seem a "no-brainer" to us, might not seem so transparent to the learner of new technology.

We as instructors and introducers of those technologies should take a step back and remember what it was like to just learn about new technologies--might we start a journal now so we can better recall what it's like to be a novice--before we expect others to start using them.

There are barriers to overcome when learning how to apply new technologies to classrooms. Examples of those technologies are Blogs and RSS feeds. They can help learners grow through reflection. They provide ways to share information, which improves professionalism and increased quality. They increase creativity through self-expressive writing and conversations. But, they can't do these things by themselves. Blogs and RSS feeds are becoming more popular in eLearning, but they are not a "no-brainer" like email.

One possible solution is to create a dashboard or learner portal of some sort. Having one-stop-learning where the student can access webpages that teaches them how to use certain technology, best-practice examples of those new technologies. This dashboard should guide the learner in a step-by-step fashion and grow in content as the learner becomes more proficient.

Learning should be fun and challening, but not in the way that leaves you rolling on the floor laughing at your self. Most of all, learning technology should be be frusterating or confusing.