I feel as though there is a certain pressure that exists in today's educational environment to integrate technology that is relevant, rigorous and appropriate into the classroom. How do we do this? Is it something that the teacher should be solely responsible for, spending countless hours on the web and in the library scouring multiple sources, or is it something that students should have input on? I was at a tech committee meeting last night for the high school where I teach and was amazed at the difference in opinion about how our tech money should be spent. Hardware, software, peripherals, where does it go? I don't pretend to have the answer, and as money becomes tighter this answer seems more elusive, but I do know that if we are not careful we are going to paint ourselves into a corner and hinder severely the technology that is at our fingertips. I believe that the technology we provide to our students should meet certain standards before it is to be implemented in a class:
1- The technology should be safe and present an opportunity for all students to learn
2- It should be current (relatively speaking) so that students can be prepared for life beyond the walls of high school
3- It should promote academic, social, and emotional growth in the students so that they can be positive citizens of the communities they live in
4- Lastly, technology should challenge us all to be open to new ideas and possibilities, because as a teacher, in five years literacy wont be about what books you read, but what blogs, wikis, and podcasts you participate in.
Another issue raised at our meeting was should we allow students to connect personal technology devices to the network at school. Students could use their IPhones as presentation devices, hook up their laptops to demonstrate a project they've done at home. I love this possibility in theory, however the implementation is not so easy. What about liability for the schools network? What about theft of not only physical devices but intellectual property as well. Again, there is no clear answer, but as money shrinks, and technology demands grow this may be one option we have to consider.
As I continue towards the end of my first semester as a teacher, I am continually in awe of my students and their capacity for knowledge. Not only is it the way they acquire, process, and synthesize the knowledge, but it is the new way in which they do it. I hope I can continue to encourage this as technology continues its exponential growth.
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Hey nice job. This is very odd. The Bird Man is the best.
ReplyDeleteHockey's not a sport. I Like how your background is BLack =D.
ReplyDeletenice blog mr stevens, lots of good information. hockey sucks by the way
ReplyDeleteShweet blog Mr.Stevens. Theres some good content in here that could be argued over.
ReplyDeleteIf i were to find my favorite part in this blog it would be this...
ReplyDeleteAs a technology teacher, I want my students to know and understand the world of social and professional networking. To this end, I thought it would be appropriate for me to start a blog chronicling my first years in education. So with that in mind, this is my first blog post ever, so bare with me as I work out the kinks. I wanted to start a blog for a number of reasons, some personal and some professional (see above). I hope you will take this ride with me, and perhaps gain a small glimpse into the world of secondary education through the eyes of a first year teacher!!
I feel as though there is a certain pressure that exists in today's educational environment to integrate technology that is relevant, rigorous and appropriate into the classroom. How do we do this? Is it something that the teacher should be solely responsible for, spending countless hours on the web and in the library scouring multiple sources, or is it something that students should have input on? I was at a tech committee meeting last night for the high school where I teach and was amazed at the difference in opinion about how our tech money should be spent. Hardware, software, peripherals, where does it go? I don't pretend to have the answer, and as money becomes tighter this answer seems more elusive, but I do know that if we are not careful we are going to paint ourselves into a corner and hinder severely the technology that is at our fingertips. I believe that the technology we provide to our students should meet certain standards before it is to be implemented in a class:
1- The technology should be safe and present an opportunity for all students to learn
2- It should be current (relatively speaking) so that students can be prepared for life beyond the walls of high school
3- It should promote academic, social, and emotional growth in the students so that they can be positive citizens of the communities they live in
4- Lastly, technology should challenge us all to be open to new ideas and possibilities, because as a teacher, in five years literacy wont be about what books you read, but what blogs, wikis, and podcasts you participate in.
Another issue raised at our meeting was should we allow students to connect personal technology devices to the network at school. Students could use their IPhones as presentation devices, hook up their laptops to demonstrate a project they've done at home. I love this possibility in theory, however the implementation is not so easy. What about liability for the schools network? What about theft of not only physical devices but intellectual property as well. Again, there is no clear answer, but as money shrinks, and technology demands grow this may be one option we have to consider.
As I continue towards the end of my first semester as a teacher, I am continually in awe of my students and their capacity for knowledge. Not only is it the way they acquire, process, and synthesize the knowledge, but it is the new way in which they do it. I hope I can continue to encourage this as technology continues its exponential growth.
I Like it all Mr. Stevens. GREAT JOB!
hockey is the slum doggy doggy. good blog mr. stevens
ReplyDeletegood blog mr stevens your doin a good job teaching
ReplyDeletegreat blog mr.stevens:)
ReplyDeleteyou are doing a good job as a first year teacher. Sounds like you have more good ideas
ReplyDeleteAwesome job Mr. Stevens great haveing you as a teacher
ReplyDeleteMr. Stevens I hope you agree with me on BYU. Haha great blog. I liked hwo you used the things you're actually thinking
ReplyDelete