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Changes

4/25/2012

2 Comments

 
Yesterday at our teacher inservice we were discussing how many things in education have changed over the last ten years or so. There have been changes in the way we deliver instruction, the way we set up our classrooms, and in the expectations for student learning. But perhaps one of the biggest changes impacting the classroom today is the integration and use of technology.

I am by no means a digital native. I am coming along in my understanding and use of technology, but I have quite a lot to learn. However, my journey with technology has brought about many changes in the way I teach and learn. Just a few years ago I remember being saddened to think that books were going to be available on a digital device. Not for me, I thought. I need to have the feel of the book in my hand and be able to turn the pages. I am now on my third Kindle, so change in thinking is possible.

Recently I discovered a neat app called Pocket. It allows me to download articles and store them for future reading when I have more time, like waiting in the doctor’s office or even standing in line at the grocery store. This week I read articles on conferring, ideas for writing poetry, and the importance of nurturing curiosity and creativity in young minds.

Last November I was totally mesmerized by all the tweeting going on at the NCTE Conference. It was amazing to me how everyone was so connected and learning from each other in new ways. I felt as if I were missing out on something important! Since I am not able to attend the IRA Conference next week, I wanted a way to stay in touch with the hottest new ideas and share in the excitement and new thinking going on. So, just this week, I joined Twitter. I wouldn’t say I jumped in with both feet, but my toes are definitely getting wet. I haven’t actually tweeted yet, but I have been following a few people, and I hope to learn more as I go along. (By the way, if you have any tips, please let me know.)

Change can be difficult. Often we get comfortable in the way we’ve always done things because it’s always worked out fine. But it’s important to stretch, take a few risks, and continue to grow. It’s important for us as well as our students. Best of all, it can be exciting!

2 Comments
April Silimperi
7/5/2012 11:39:47 am

Kudos to you for stretching and taking a risk into something new! Change can be uncomfortable but I think it is something we (educators) should try or learn about in order to keep current for our students. I'm amazed at how much my students come in knowing with respect to technology. I personally feel it's my responsibility to learn what I can--it's part of our today-ness. I feel if I don't open myself to these "ways", I'm not doing all I can to understand the needs of my students.

Each year, I try to add another aspect of technology into my curriculum. With the help of a technology specialist (because I need lots of 'reteaching', added time & practice, and much 1:1 assistance:)--thus far, I've been able to embed keyboarding programs, Tux Paints (a program for illustrating stories), Audacity (a program to have students tape their voiced-readings), Power Point, video taping using a green screen, Glogster, blogging, and brochures through Microsoft Publisher. This year my class shared poems with another class through Skype. I know this is just a beginning, but it's been very rewarding for me as teacher as well as the students to see different possibilities for sharing and publishing stories.

I taught a graduate class this summer and we used a Wiki to reflect and discuss through a digital dialogue journal. This was wonderful (even though we ran into some tech-hiccups)...the dialogue between the class participants was rich and it's a resource that can continue to feed us even though the class is over.

Change can be uncomfortable and stretch us beyond our comfort zone, but I'm finding that if I just try it out...I'm better for just giving it a try!

Reply
Kate T
7/9/2012 03:56:38 am

Thanks Rose and April for the discussion about technology. Like you Rose, I am not a digital native, but I have an interest and desite to try to stay current with technology. This year I was attempted to find some type of program to record with students voices reading their poems, based on George Ella Lyons, Where I'm From (http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html ), and tried adding audio to PowerPoint but had trouble with the microphones. Thanks to April's suggestion, I am going to look into Audacity.

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