one of the first things i thought about when i first started reading the material the first week of class, was how much my use of the internet in class was lacking.
most people who work with me, would consider me someone who uses technology with great regularity and enthusiasm in class. but it is mostly as we have stated "doing old stuff in a new way" I use powerpoint in class for notes (more on that next week) although honestly part of that is because my handwriting is so bad that if i didn't no one would know what i was writing. i have my students use our laptops to interact with activities and information on the internet. i even have my students give powerpoint presentations in class, and have them use the internet for their research, and with my background in theater, i also instruct them on good public speaking techniques.
but i don't have them interact with the internet, contribute to it in that web 2.0 style. or take part in wiki's. and prior to my reading this week was not aware of all of these web based activites, or scientific data sets, that are less about offering up a concept, and more about engendering inquiry in the students. so now naturally i am excited to find ways to include these in my classroom, i am just unsure as to how i am going to find the time, to go through these and develop activities for the students that are aligned with our curriculum.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Time! That's what my primary question is! I realize that in part, our class projects will serve that dual purpose of creating a possible class presentation or project while helping to complete the class requirements, however it's one of those things that I fear I may not be able to move forward once the class is complete. How can we manage all of the interesting sites and opportunities with what is required of the teachers (or in my case our other jobs)?
ReplyDeleteI loved the lecture provided for next weeks presentation page, but at the same time I am concerned that this is one more layer of hoops that a teacher is expected to jump through unless there is an added element of ongoing training, funding, and resources...
I'm not trying to say we shouldn't try, I guess it means that we need to be more creative about the options that are available.
For me, one of the biggest challenges about using web technologies in the classroom is the county technology policy. We don't have computers in my room. I can sign up for a computer lab, but then I am competing with 30 other teachers, and if I can get a lab for two classes, but not four, this messes up scheduling and makes more work. At school, we have the ability to do interactive pages, like I can provide a template that students can alter and share. However, students can't access this from home, which is when I think some of the best web learning takes place. The Catch 22 here is that I can't require something to be done using internet connections at home because the idea is not all students have internet access at home, so they need a chance to do the assignment. If their bus is late or they can't get a media center computer at lunch, they can't do the work.
ReplyDeleteI am sure we could do more if students could use their phones and the wireless connections at school, but if I see the phone I am required to turn it in to the school resource officer.
As for time, I've found the best approach is to find one thing you want to do and make the time to make this change. Usually, we can get one thing done if we stay focused on the objective.