After finishing a survey on the technology available at my
teaching placement, I have come to the conclusion that I am really, really
lucky. Firstly, the school I’m at has a lot of technological resources, my
favorite being the Chromebooks we have in my classroom. However, all the tech
in the world doesn’t help if you don’t have teachers and staff who know how to
use it. I don’t necessarily mean knowing how to make a website or format a
computer (although these skills are important), but knowing how tech can be a
real tool rather than a gimmick used twice a year or for testing practice. From
what I’ve seen, it takes a very flexible approach to teaching to really make
full use of tech. Days we use the Chromebooks in class often don’t look like
any other class I’ve been in. For example, Mr. Brater, my mentor, will have
students pull up an online lesson plan on Google Classroom, then have each
student work at their own pace, filling out surveys, reading articles or
watching videos. Students can get a lot of information in a way which may suit
them better than lecture. Of course, this is usually followed up the next day
with a more traditional looking lecture/discussion session. He also lets
students choose from a list of articles or videos and pick one to view and
discuss later. This means that the “smart kids” can’t explain all of the
reading and makes the students rely on each other (and do their own work).
Filling out the survey made me realize the physical
resources we have, everything from video editing software to computer labs, but
more than that, I realized the commitment to tech this school must have. My
school is pretty middleclass, and not in the kind of school district which you expect
to have a lot of tech (another thing that surprised me while filling out the
survey). I know that Mr. Brater and Mr. Hughes had to start a campaign to get
the Chromebooks. Before the school year started, we had a PD session which
focused on using Google Apps. It was…. dry. However, it’s hard to argue its
usefulness. I can really see the value in having the staff on the same page so
that calendars, lesson plans, goals, surveys, etc. can all be shared easily.
This is why I’m lucky, not just because of the physical resources available
here, but also the human resources, people who make an effort to bring tech
tools into the school in a meaningful way. And who are patient enough to
explain to their peers, students teachers and students how to share that Google
Doc about a hundred times. (Thanks Rory!)
LIz, I really appreciate your observations here, and your understanding of the fact that a school's effectiveness with technology isn't just about having the top-of-the-line hardware, but rather it stems mostly from staff and students who have or gain a good knowledge base on how to utilize the technology for productive learning. I'm glad to see you are given great examples on how to use technology in the classroom, and how to balance for students in order to maximize their own autonomy and learning. I struggle at my school to get an understanding of using technology since there's really no tech at all in my classroom, but I still feel lucky knowing that I'm given chances to do different kinds of things with different resources at my disposal.
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