Hacking the Pedagogical System and Teaching Naked

A good teacher, like a good entertainer first must hold his audience’s attention, then he can teach his lesson - John Henrik Clarke

It can be said that digital humanities in relation to digital pedagogy does not require the use of technological resources. If teaching is considered the transfer and development of knowledge between two minds, in which students are motivated to learn, the lesson need not even be presented in a classroom environment. Indeed, computers and other technological resources (although excellent for storing and sharing of both social and personal information) can detract from the information being relayed by the teacher. That being said, these “machines" are sometimes the key in capturing the attention of your learners.

As technological reform lures the youth of today into its web of universal connectivity and exposure, it is beneficial for us to incorporate new technologies into our lessons in order to communicate with our learners in a language they are willing to understand. This DOES NOT mean placing your students in front of a laptop/tablet/cellphone, expecting them to stare mindlessly into the black hole of the Internet with the hope that they might grasp concepts discussed. It could however suggest that a YouTube video, 9Gag meme or Tumbler GIF (where applicable) may be used to assist you in introducing an academic topic, spiking your learners’ interest or enticing a desire to find out more.

The goal for the teacher should be to think out of the box, initiating unique and creative methods for delivering new material and using whatever resources are available. Ultimately, you should be prepared for technology to fail and ensure there is always a Plan B to carry out the lesson when it does. However, it is possible to assume that lessons may be more effective if we strip away all additional technologies and teaching aids, such that the learners focus purely on the lesson at hand. This could further encourage students to learn independently, researching topics discussed for enlightenment at a later stage, and broadening their knowledge thereof.

For every task learners and teachers require technology, there is almost always an equivalent non-digitalised form of carrying out that task. If not, one might think how on earth information was passed on before the rise of the digital-era. The modern world is constantly travelling at the speed of light, with people expecting instant gratification, screaming at their “machines” whenever they fail to deliver immediate solutions. Removing the technological components of a lesson will force learners and teachers to take their time in considering the importance of material under investigation, enabling discussions to take on a deeper meaning. 

We need to hack the current pedagogical system and strip our lessons of every unnecessary aid, using technology in a wise and thought-out manner. Embrace the technological reforms in future schooling environments! It will be beneficial to everyone concerned. It will ensure the underlying messages of lessons are conveyed to the youth of today as well as the youth of tomorrow, such that each of our subjects are naked and exposed to every type of learner.