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End of the Year
May 30, 2007 | | Leave a Comment
With the end of the school year fast approaching, I am finding myself bogged down with wrapping up projects I have begun with my students over the past few weeks. Hence the lack of updates. Also something pretty unimportant, but exciting for me, was that today I signed up for some summer time technology inservice classes. These classes range from “integration of technology into literacy centers” to “internet safety.” Chances for professional development are something I have craved all year with my school not receiving funding for any professional inservices due to budgetary problems.
Making a connection between technology, training, and sometimes the lack of training, I recall listening to an old episode of GEEK!ED! on which they mentioned the NY Times article (see a counterpoint article here), from a few weeks back, that highlighted a school district giving up on their laptop program. Supposedly this district did not feel that their laptop program was successful enough. Standardized test scores were not rising due to the program and students were misusing the laptops. Brought up by the Geek!ed! crew was the possibility that the teachers, who had students using these laptops, may have received limited training on how to integrate the laptops into their instruction. Possibly there is a need to look at the larger picture of instructional design, not just how to operate the “tool.” I can not recall who said it on the show, but in a clearly frustrated tone, it was mentioned that textbooks certainly aren’t raising scores across the nation so we might as well get rid of them. I am sure Harcourt would love that! Out of all of this, what does the American public see? They see “technology” as being a risky expenditure. I wonder if the NY Times has released an article recently highlighting schools who have been successful with their laptop programs.
IN THE NEWS TODAY
How about that new Microsoft Surface? Saw this first mentioned on the Cool Cat Teacher Blog
Check out the video, just imagine where this will be in 5-10 years. This could be a table in our room, a board on our wall, and a page in a notebook (digital paper fascinates me). For now the price certainly is too high for me to be putting one (or 20) on the end of the year acquisition form. I can just picture my baby boy in 10 years manipulating a digital puzzle on the back of a cereal box. One year ago I would have said 20 years…but the rate of product development and technological discovery surprises me more and more everyday!
SPECIAL THANKS
Goes out to Dean Shareski from Ideas and Thoughts. He was the first person to comment on my teeny blog, and his encouragement and support is truly appreciated! Thanks Dean!
