The Great Debate

Is media merely a vehicle that delivers instruction as Clark states or how can media be used to influence learning as Kozma states is the great debate that is still being asked.  Clark states that media does not influence the learning outcome; method of instruction does. Kozma states that media can influence the learning of students.

I don’t agree with Clark but at the same time don’t 100% agree with Kozma either. I agree with Kozma in the way that media does influence learning but it has to be used correctly. As teachers we have access to so much technology, but if we aren’t using it in a way that is effective to our student’s learning it won’t make a difference how much media we have access to. If we show a video to our students and don’t make a connection with the skill they are learning; showing the video was a waste of time. In my opinion media on its own isn’t effective without the teacher. As Becker states, “Nothing works better than a good teacher, unless it’s a good teacher with descent tools.” (Becker, 2010)

In today’s world our students are born into a world of technology. We see children as young as two years of age with cell phones, tablets, or computers. These are the children that will be on our schools in the future. These children are “digital natives”. (Prensky, 2001) As educators we need to build our lessons with the knowledge that the students in our classrooms need more than just a lecture; we need to reach them in an way that they will be engaged and what better way than through media which is what they are used to.

Sources

Becker, K. (n.d.). The Clark-Kozma Debate in the 21^st Century. Retrieved November 17, 2016, from http://www.academia.edu/462857/The_Clark-Kozma_Debate_in_the_21^st_Century

Prensky, M. (2001, October). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On The Horizon (MCB University Press), 9(5). Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky - Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants - Part1.pdf