Week #9 (delayed) - Where are we going?

So, this is my last blog post for this class. What should it be about? Technology!!  Yes, that's right, the theme of technology continues. Shocking, I know.

Where is technology going in the classroom? That's a really great question that I challenge anyone to try to answer. My answer (and it is by no means complete) is that technology is going personal. Here's one example of what I mean. Technology is moving into the students' pocket. Cell phones are becoming more and more powerful and more and more useful for education. In the example above, his classroom is effectively going virtual - students are able to learn at school, at home, on the bus, or wherever they happen to be. And his classroom is getting support from Verizon!

Does everyone have a cell phone now? 

There is a wonderful quote by Sister Rosemarie DeLoro - "You can't stay in teaching and keep going to the old ways."  And I agree with her. She's been teaching for 60+ years and she knows what's up. And the new ways seems to be working. This article from US News & World Report discusses how teachers and administrators feel that new technology is improving student performance and even attendance. The article goes on to say that the numbers aren't there yet to show that technology is improving test scores, but if the teachers are seeing more productivity in their students, then something good must be happening. But the technology (much like anything) is just a tool. It's not the technology that drives the learning, it's the teachers. William Astore of the Huffington Post wrote an excellent article about this topic. He and I are of the same opinion on distance learning (online, correspondence, etc.). The one online course I took I really couldn't tell you what I learned. There was no delivery of material, it was just reading and writing down what I read in my own words. This isn't going to excite young minds to learn. So while technology is moving forward, we as teachers have to move with it because we're a critical part of the system.

With that in mind, I interviewed Mary Carney, a history teacher at Dracut High School who has been adapting to new technology for several years now. As her blog work is with students, it is not public, so I won't link it here. Suffice to say, she is a dynamic teacher that is really embracing the technology movement. Click on the picture to read the complete interview (which I have placed in a separate post in the interest of brevity).

Read my interview with the amazing Mary Carney!

Its no wonder that Mary & I are good colleagues! We believe in the same basic principles of technology in the classroom. Technology is great, but will never replace a teacher. One of the great things I took from the interview was that she uses her blog to connect with parents as well as students. This is a great way to get parents to see what the technology is doing and can be used for. Often parents are a bit afraid of technology, leaving them out of the loop on a lot of things that are happening today.  By getting them used to communicating through blogs/websites/social media/etc. they can learn the challenges that their students are facing and then help them to grow into better digital citizens. And blogging is just one way - here is an article by Adam Steiner (who may have worked in my district for a year) about ways to connect to parents through technology. He gives great advice on blogs, email newsletters, website and more to help bring parents into the classroom. As he mentions, studies have shown that an active parent leads to student success. By helping bring in parents, we can help our students be more successful. And technology can help!

For those of you who are interested in learning more about using technology with your students, I've included a few links to get you started:
   Blogging - http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/blogging-with-students/
   Social Media - http://www.teq.com/blog/2013/07/7-steps-on-how-to-use-the-new-edmodo/#.U_TF7Pk7vWc
   Technology in general - http://www.edudemic.com/9-wrong-and-8-right-ways-students-should-use-technology/

As the last article suggest - technology is amazing, but it is just a tool in our every growing toolbox of teaching implements. Just like when a shop teacher hands over a saw, we have to teach our students to be responsible with the tools they have available to them. We don't want them cutting their hands off with a saw, do we? Are cell phones as dangerous? Maybe not physically, but they can be used in ways that are harmful to themselves or others. We don't get good carpenters without training them. What makes us think we will get good digital citizens without training them?