As a classroom teacher, I feel like I am more of a back seat driver. At first, I would introduce a new technology and give them step by step instructions. Now I ask them to download an app or show them a new technology such as Ozobots, give them a few minutes and suddenly they are experts at it and they take me for a very interesting ride.
It is so important to remember to be open-minded as well as to teach to the class that you have. The students sitting in my classroom today crave technology. They have been inundated with technology from the time they were born. I try to introduce several different apps and websites so they know what to use and where to look. My students have had iPads since they were in 1st grade. If I am to give them the best education that I can, I must remember who I am dealing with. I must meet them where they are, which means I must allow them to explore.
I have found that a student-led classroom really is remarkable. If I simply stand in front of them and lecture, I lose them. If given the opportunity to brainstorm about a broad topic and allow them to research it and create a presentation of their choice, I am blown away.
Some of my students do not have a lot of life-experience. I love bringing information to them just by using YouTube. For example, we were reading a passage about the landing on the moon. My students had heard a little about it, but really had no idea what it was all about. I was able to take this opportunity to bring more experiences to them simply by finding a video on the moon landing and letting them watch it. This experience led to so many questions and so much more research on their part. They used technology and gained experience. They asked if they could do a presentation about the lunar landing. We had so much fun and they didn't even realize they were incorporating science into their product.
Another example happened during a recent solar eclipse. My students had limited knowledge of what to expect. We found a website that was following the solar eclipse and simply kept the projector on during the rest of the morning. As time went on they would look up to the screen and see the difference. I loved hearing their excitement and seeing their faces as the eclipse continued. The next day several of them came back to school with more information they had found all on their own.
MISD is ahead of the game when looking at what is expected from the Long Range Technology Plan set up by TEA and at the moment we are in Phase II of this plan. I love being a pioneer with my class, piloting programs for them, the school and the district and I only look forward to what the future may bring.
According to the TEA Long Range Technology Plan 2006-2020:
Students can expect higher performance and deeper engagement in academic, real world endeavors by accessing digital tools and resources available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) appropriate to individual strengths, needs, and learning styles. Students know they will be prepared to thrive in a global workforce with changing economic implications.
Educators can expect to access and use student information on demand in order to individualize instruction. The use of digital tools and resources and 24/7 professional development opportunities transform the educators’ role in the educational process. Increased communication will enhance collaboration between school, home, and community.
Works Cited: Agency, T. E. (2007-2012). Long Range Plan for Technology (LRPT). Retrieved April 13, 2013, from Texas Education Agency: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=5082
ashleigh91. (2011). Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. Retrieved 2013, from http://ashleighgraham.edublogs.org/2011/01/06/mind-map/