Inviting the Technological Revolution Into My Classroom
borrowed from woodleywonderworks via flickr
Last week’s class was about seeing and believing that technology in the classroom can work for any grade and any student. I haven’t been shy about admitting my techno blunders and how far down into the rabbit hole I’ve had to stick my head to comprehend the benefits of teaching with technology; but peering into the digital classrooms of Kathy Cassidy, Clarence Fisher, and Darren Kuropatwa both intimidated me, and helped me to see the light at the end of the fibre optic tunnel.
There are two things that have struck me again and again while investigting and analyzing all of these new tools and resources for the classroom:
1. The levels of student engagement and ownership of their own learning while using technology in the classroom is limitless. So much so that my own hesitation to incorporating more technology in the classroom can’t even factor into whether or not I use it. I must. The potential for students to really take possession and adhere to what they learn, to contribute, and lend a voice to many audiences supersedes my own timid and foolish apprehensions. How can I deny students the opportunity to experience learning that is valid and engaging because I refuse to learn something new?
2. The journey is taken by all – including the teacher. I’m in love with the idea that every new exploration into teaching and learning is just that – an exploration. I am relieved to hear that teachers have tried many different tools, and have had failures right along side their successes while experimenting with new web tools, new ideas, and new projects. The idea of not knowing how far a project can and will go scares the hell out of me – but sometimes there’s nothing sweeter than the exciting taste of risk. I have to be willing to step into this new era with a degree of uncertainty…which is not something a lot of teachers are comfortable with.
After seeing these classrooms in action, I had to take a breath and remind myself that not all of it was done in a day. I have to remind myself that it is okay to start with a few simple tools, get comfortable using them, and then add more when you can. I have to remember the value of sharing ideas, tools, tips, and my successes and failures with other teachers. I have to remember that inviting the technological revolution into my classroom is an evolving process, one that requires me to keep learning too.
Darren Kuropatwa mentioned that he’s got students doing a lot of the digital class work for him through the use of scribes. This is exciting to me – and not just because I want to do less work, but because I want students to take responsibility for their learning and let it lead them in directions that they feel passionate to pursue and share with each other. I certainly don’t believe in the teacher as the fountain from which all true knowledge spills (though some of my past teachers tried to tell me otherwise.) Isn’t it much more exciting to serve as a guide? To ask questions that get students giving opinions, or searching for the answers outside of the classroom?
What will this technological revolution look like in my classroom?
I’m a slow burner, so in the beginning it may not be anything more than a class wiki, or a class blog forum where students are writing, posting and sharing. It may be using web 2.0 tools like Vuvox collage to have students create a response to something they have read, or written, or to express their learning about a unit of study. It may mean using Glogster to create and embed an interactive wiki page about a subject, or author, or to showcase their own creative work in a space that can be designed and shared with anyone, and not just their own class. This may mean a Ning partnership shared with 2 or 3 other classrooms across the globe where students post their work, and share information about global issues that concern them.
I could spend all day thinking of the applications these new web tools could have in my drama classes! I have a great class project brewing that involves creative writing, improvisation, working with movie making and movie editing software, and interactive web voting via google forms. I wrote an Arts Ed 10, 20 , 30 music unit plan last semester on media literacy and the music of popular culture that used a ton of Youtube clips – I could definitely use Diigo to bookmark all of the clips, or additional information for students.
The most important tool for me will be networking with other teachers on what they are doing, how they are using these tools, and what I might be able to learn from them, or vice versa. For me, this has been the most valuable experience of ECMP 355 – connecting with educators who are willing to share their ideas and tools.
‘Cuz, let’s face it – I need a lot of help. (snicker, snicker)
Your future classroom sounds amazing!