We are the Digital Generation

I just finished watching most of the video on the digital nation. I did have technical difficulties with the video lagging out on numerous occasions though and for about the last half an hour I could only hear to program.

However, I got the gist of the program and I have to admit it really made me think about and evaluate my own habits. I have my Blackberry on me all the time and even during the video I found it very hard not to check it when the notification light started flashing. I also could relate with the students from MIT about the need to multitask. I also think the video shows proof regarding the importance technology can have in the classroom. The changes that occured in that school in the Bronx made it very evident. But I wonder how much is too much? When does it stop being a tool and start becoming a crutch or drug.

My husband plays World of Warcraft so I know first hand how much time and energy can be spent on that game. This has always been a point of contention between us. On the other hand I check Facebook several times a day and between homework, Facebook, and my mom's group page I am online most of the day. Is that really any better?!?!? I also thought the benefits of using Second World for a global company like IBM were amazing.

So there are pros and cons to technology as with most other things in life. What I took away from this video is that as teachers we need to harness the good technology has to offer our students and our teaching so that we can better meet their needs and keep them engaged. But technology needs to supplement our curriculum rather than supplant it. Meaning that I think there is a lot to still be learned from disconnecting from technology curling up with a good book, exploring interests tangibly, and actually experiencing things outside of the virtual world.

These are just my thoughts.

Smartboards

What else am I looking for?

Well first off let me start by saying that even if class ended this week I feel that I have truly gained so much already, and I would be completely satisfied. However, we were asked to blog about anything else we would like to learn about so I will address that question. I would love to learn more about smartboards and possibly even see one. I have heard rumors that this wonderful, magical tool exists, but I have never actually seen one. As the unicorn is to a fairytale is the smartboard to education? Alright maybe that is not as funny as I thought it was.

Anyway, I would love to actually use a smartboard, and play around with the various features it offers. It sounds like a really dynamic tool that can totally change the classroom and I am hoping that there will come a day when all classrooms are equipped with them.

21st Century Learning

So I was in my class on inclusion Thursday evening and I was impressed by a presentation one of my classmates did. He works for the Windham High School and they have embraced 21st Century Learning. Many of the things we talked about in a previous blog regarding the provision of equal opportunities for students to utilize technology is being realized. Every student in the high school is provided with their own personal laptop. Additionally, all the classrooms are equipped with Smartboards. I sat and listened in awe because this was something I thought only existed in educational fairy tales.

I can only imagine how amazing it must be to have so many resources available for students. For instance he works in special education and he can differentiate a reading lesson just by having students visit different leveled reading programs on their computers. All the while he can go around and assist the students while they are truly working in their personal zone of proximal development.... not the majority of the class's zone of proximal development. He also said that one a recent snow day student's didn't miss out on class because teachers could post assignments on Moodle and students could utilize the text books online to do assignments from home. They are actually petitioning with the state to have that snow day removed since students still completed assignments.

Also while reading this weeks assigned reading I was intrigued by the charter school established by Bob Slater and Tom Reynolds in Texas. To help deal with the high dropout and low graduation rates being seen across the country; they took up an offer of the then governor of Texas George W. Bush to create this school. This charter school is one large well lit room with several hanging plants and twenty Internet ready computers. It services 40 students as students are paired to a computer. Their curriculum consists of assignments given every Monday morning which address a couple of the state standards. Students have the week to complete the assignments and then present their findings to the entire school on Friday using an interactive PowerPoint presentation. Here is a quote from our text, "with weekly goals connected to state standards, freedom to explore personal interests, and large audiences for their products, the same students who were indifferent or had been dropping out of school, were now succeeding and dropping in." (The World is Open by, Bonk 2009)

For me these examples show how very possible it is to rethink our current way of teaching and revamp it to meet the needs of today's students.

For more information about 21st century learning and the Windham High School you can view this PowerPoint link: www.windhamsd.org/whs/WHS%20Overview%202009-01-08.htm