As I converse with my colleagues on a regular basis I find that many people are willing to infuse technology if given resources or a direction in which to go. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that some people just need that little push in order to take the step needed to "teach the future of our world" to the students. "Web 2.0" seems to be what I have found in many educational technology circles to be a trend coming to the surface over the past few years as I read blogs, articles, and books. This includes social networks such as facebook, diigo, and delicious where people can connect to each other and find out what is happening. The sites are not just information transfer but rather a two way forum that can have endless possibilities. These are terrific sites and can also be infused into the classroom if you are savvy enough to do so. There is a site however that can be a great resource for teachers (although navigating through it to find the right thing for a specific classroom may take time) and I have found that many of the Web 2.0 applications are great!
The website is:
Go2Web20- The Ultimate Web 2.0 Directory
This is basically a directory where teachers can search through hundreds of applications and see which ones fit best. I feel as educators it is our responsibility to seek out and research the possibilities that are out there. Too often we get "stuck in a rut" when it comes to educating and in turn we fail miserably in preparing students. How can we prepare students if we are unwilling to prepare ourselves?
Today was a great day in my class because I decided to use a "real time" polling software to discuss what we are learning. The students absolutely loved it and took so much out of class that I was simply astonished! The maturity and honesty in their answers were fantastic and would not have been the same if we had discussed in a "normal" way. Just by incorporating a piece of technology into class the learning that took place was out of this world! I was pumped!
(Website used: www.polleverywhere.com)
Again, to me this demonstrates the importance of moving forward in our thinking, teaching, and learning in general. Simple ways of adding technology, such as websites, programs, computers, or wikis can sometimes be the best ways to reach the students where they are.
While I agree with you that teachers need to be using more technology in their classrooms, I feel like you are briefly touching on the most important issue. The resources is not the issue, although I do appreciate the link! There are hundreds of fantastic websites and programs to use in classrooms for just about any subject you could think of. Yes, resources such as laptops are an issue, but I use tech in my class often and most of the work is done outside the classroom. I believe the biggest problem is teacher comfort. Even familiar tech-friendly teachers avoid using technology in their classes because it's not just using technology - it's using technology to teach... incorporating it in a way that is purposeful and meaningful not only to the student, but to the curriculum. School districts are not doing an adequate job preparing teachers for technology integration. Teachers are told "Use technology!" but are not given specific requirements, standards, or resources. Once teachers have direction, guidance, and professional development on how to use technology in an effective way for students, I believe there will still be a struggle between 21st century trends and traditional teaching.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and appreciate the insight you have brought forward. Technology to teach! I love it! I hope that more teachers embrace this concept and realize that it isn't really a matter of resources but rather direction. Well said!
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