As I sat in my PGCE computer class I heard about this very strange concept DIGITAL PEDAGOGY, and for a student who is not bothered or concerned about computers or technology I felt a little bit out of place with this concept. But then I heard something that totally blew my mind – Digital Pedagogy can even be a potato or sticky notes.  I was totally confused, until I read the article, by Paul Fyfe (2011), explaining this concept.

But first things first…

Digital Pedagogy refers to: Digital pedagogy is the use of electronic elements to enhance or to change to experience of education (http://www.briancroxall.net/digitalpedagogy/what-is-digital-pedagogy/).

Okay, so digital pedagogy is the use of electronic elements to change our experience of education. But then where does the potato fits in to all this digital vibes?

According to Paul Fyfe (2011), technology is only one factor of being “digital” and with the word “digital” referring to “something to get your hands on”.  So I presumed that my iPad is “something to get my hands on” and dada of I go into the digital sphere, but then Fyfe said “To be a digital humanist, you don’t need a computer”. For a moment I was like no wait Mr. Fyfe without technology you are lost, in the dark and limited. Even for a not-so-good-technologist, like myself, this might be a bit extreme. But I came to a drastic change of mind. Yes, technology can limit you in the classroom, especially when it comes to creativity and interaction. But how?

Well I have been in a class where the lecturer only focused on the (very good, colorful and compact) PowerPoint slides; he hardly made any eye contact. Have you been in such a class? I was board to death!

Technology is a tool and it’s a great tool, but one must not forget that there are human beings sitting in front of you, who have the need to be entertained and to interact. This brings me to a new concept of “teaching naked”. Jose Bowen refers to teaching naked as the removal of all the computers and projectors from the classroom, but still uses technology outside of the class setting offering podcasts and online discussions to students.

I like the idea of “teaching naked” it creates a space where the teacher is pressured to create an active and creative atmosphere, but one must not put technology on the sideline. It still forms part of our daily lives and it is important to bring the outside world into the classroom. This brings me to my conclusion that even a potato can be digital if you are creative - it's worth the try!