I recently attended a nation-wide tech conference in Seattle, where I was filled with hope and excitement for the future of our schools and how technology can play a major role in that future. However; I feel like we owe technology an apology. So here are a few reasons why I feel that we, as professionals, haven't been using technology effectively in the classroom/library. I hope by reading this, it causes you to pause and take note, and hopefully change your ways! It certainly is changing mine.
1. We are afraid: We are so afraid, as teachers, that we might mess something up or we might not use it correctly the first time. This makes technology obsolete in our rooms. Instead of floundering through an app or google form the first few times and tweaking it to make it better, we just say "Nope, don't know how, so not going to use it"
2. We don't make the time to learn more: As teachers we expect our students to persevere, work through the hard stuff, seek out answers and triumph. But then it is our turn to learn new techniques/technology that could help with our classrooms, and we are shut down. How is this effective for our students?
3. We expect our kids to know how do use technology, because they are around it all the time: I think this is a HUGE misconception. We as teachers need to immerse ourselves into technology, so that we can be the leader in our classroom. Not the follower. Kids, many times, don't truly now how to work their device or trouble shoot a problem. They only know how to get on an app, play and shut if off. Problems arise and then throw their hands in the air, just like we do. We need to be models of perseverance through problems and teach different strategies when problems arise.
4. We use outdated platforms: Glogster, Discovery Education, Educreations, Vimeo, etc... are great platforms to present and display what you know, yet we are still just having our students work in Word, Prezi, and Powerpoint. Explore, innovate, allow for some creativity! I am guilty of this too. I think it is time we allow enough options, appropriate for the grade level. Give them a chance to shine!
And finally, Educators and Administrators are so afraid students might mess up or abuse their privileges if we allow access to Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook in our schools that we completely shut it off. This is where we can empower our students to become professional contributors to Social Media. We can teach them to have a positive professional voice, and show them what that looks like. Collaboration at it's finest happens on these social media sites and we need to harness the power and accessibility that these outlets have to offer.
**This is all said from the stand point that these should all be taken at an age appropriate stance. I don't suggest just letting kinders have free regien of Facebook at school, nor do I suggest that High Schools do either, but a controlled situation where they are supposed to collaborate on a school facebook page, or school twitter feed, would be awesome!****
Technology isn't going away and it is merely a tool, one of many, that teachers can use to harness the effectiveness and power of amazing teaching and learning in the classroom.
