Teaching Technology

Beyond teaching 5th grade, I have also taken on teaching one of the tech classes in my district. I've taken multiple classes previously. Each has typically been focused on a program or resource- OneNote, PhotoStory, ActivInspire (for Promethean Activboards). They are great in that you get the opportunity to learn a particular tool really well so that you can use it with your kids. This class really isn't like those ones!

The class I am taking is centered on the soft-skills technology promotes. Collaboration. Communication. Research. This departs from the "here is a part of a tool, try this, use it with your kids and report back" model I have become accustomed to. The focus is on how to best use technology with kids, and ways we can empower them in the classroom. There is a large information dump, with some discussion (electronic and in person), before some work time centered on planning for integration of technology with your kids. We've used some different tools that are examples of what we are looking to create/use with our kids. Corkboard.me for a virtual corkboard where kids can post notes (maybe for norms, although I used it for student input into what projects should look like),  Todaysmeet for an example of backchanneling (yep, could be done via Twitter but that medium really is not prevalent in elementary school!).

The big tale away for me is that teaching with technology requires time. Teachers need the time, and the willingness, to plan for how they want it to be implemented. They also need guidance in how to go about designing activities (guided and independent) that kids can be successful. You can't simply throw technology- iPads, netbooks, iPods and what not, at kids with the hopes that they will figure it out. That does them a great disservice. The whole process- implementing technology on my own, and learning how to teach the use of technology  has been worthwhile. Hopefully I'll continue to grow.