Week6 Fischbowl -Tech Illiterate Teacher

So much is already required of teachers who go into the profession for the sake of the children and much more on the horizon. Many feel they are there to educate and direct from some reflection of their own educational experience of enrichment or neglect. The basics are requiring new tools to accomplish or even maintain the paradigm shift around us. No longer are students sent to a separate class to learn computer operation but it's the notebook of every desk. Therefore, the rolling snowball continues to pick up the speed and pace inter winding the role of teacher as teacher and student for these knowledge leaders. The kids will either be behind, around or in front dependent on the teacher's attitude towards change.

Yet, the profession itself requires a commitment towards life long learning. Being technologically literate will embrace or drown you if one has a closed door attitude towards any endeavor. I can't help but to say, I feel that most teacher want to teach and probably more apt to learn and practice prior to being put on blast by one of their students if there is a better platform for introduction of new tools. I say this because, many times new "technology things" are charged to the geeks while the mainstream focus on getting the lesson and not the method. If a better approach to the collaboration of these practices could be introduced in a user-friendly manner, it will have our teachers eager to be tech savy, and not be deemed a geek-a-like.

I do say I find it impossible in this day and age that any teacher is under retirement that do not have some technical knowledge. Therefore the word use of "technologically illiterate" would probably qualify for me as well because I don't have the whole tech dictionary down to an art. it would probably be more appropriate to say non-tech savy. I recognize that it's virtually impossible to operate in this classroom of life and survive without the new basics (email, cellphones, ipods, flashdrive, new blackboard and the like). Teachers are held foremost as the pioneers to educate and educated with technology tools to our students who in turn take it to the parents at home and everyone has to get involved. In conclusion, I say no it's not okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher. Learning and teaching go hand in hand.

Cynthia

Picture with title and Atl modifers

Sandaig Primary School: Home

Sandaig Primary School: Home

Blog from Others Students

In this excert, i witnessed the use of blogging for a 5th grade class. This instructor completely uses this blog technique for every day use in his class room. I like the set up of his title page which is easy on the eyes. One facet i like is the listing of all the students in his class on the left menu bar for easy click and view accessibility. Mr. Johnston of Sandaig Primary School uses his Primary Seven S. He expresses that use of this tool allows even the shy kids to express themselves and well as recruit help from classmates to help a fellow student complete their assignment. He catalogs his use of blogs by each class as primary 6 or primary 7 blog and communicate with the students in a user friendly tone and method. Posting students work on the blog as the winners of contests build a good competitive environment that allows the students to produce their best because it's their reflection of themselves. Yes, see for yourself that his page is a good beginner example of a blog to put into ready use for any classroom.
http://www.sandaigprimary.co.uk/pivot/p6sj/mr_johnston.php

Cynthia

Blogging Kids 2 History

I had the opportunity to look into an assignment by my instructor about blogging use by students in grades k-12. i was amazed. i knew students used computers but i was struck by the grand use of electronic communication with students via this blogging tool, a virtual blackboard. No more need for shame in going to the front of the class to ask the teacher a question whether private or public.

I looked at the blogging tool presentation he made as teacher of the year in December 2007 at the National council for social studies teachers in San Diego, CA. Mr. Lanchorst presented a slide show titled "Why is my classroom web 2.0. In his slide show he exhibited the use of blogging for his students of his 8th grade history class to engage them in the act of history. For example students were allowed to do a mini video of a scene from the Boston Massacre by writing the scripts themselves. This sure beats reading about it and not being able to identify with something of the past that students don't feel concerns them. Acting it out puts thems right in the heat of the moment making it action not history.

Also, students complete reading assignments and post their report in comment form to a classroom blog available for view by kids in their classroom and around the world. I view this tool as an expanded way for kids to allow their ideas to receive agreement or rebuttal in an open forum which matures them in a unique fashion. Where they can't hear adults, they listen to their own kind. I can see how this guy got to be teacher of the year. He's teaching the method this generation of students understand at every level and yet propell them future ready. One slide showed a book page labeled "read write and web"; too cute. I don't know how to cut and paste pics from this site but take a look see: http://www.slideshare.net/elanghorst/ncss-2007-why-my-classroom-is-20

Cynthia