Our school has some excellent examples of technology
integration. Almost every classroom is fitted with a digital whiteboard. Our
library has check-out laptops, multiple desktop computers and students have
access to several computer labs. We have a well-established Internet network
with Wi-Fi access points throughout the school. Teachers have successfully used
this infrastructure to have students create authentic learning products. The
best examples include:
·
writing blogs,
- ebook poetry anthologies,
- audiovisual animations of experiments,
- videos casting persuasive speeches,
- websites capturing outdoor excursions,
- a variety of presentations (Prezi, PowToon, etc.)
So, YES,
we are equipping our students to use technology.
In previous blogs I emphasized the need for today’s schools
to promote a 21st Century learning environment. With Imagine, I pointed
out that teachers must seize the opportunity the Internet affords for learning.
It is no longer about information only. In A New Paradigm,
I echoed the job market’s desire for ongoing innovation and how educational
institutions must leverage connectivity to that end. Recently, my colleague also
reported on the high school’s progress toward a possible 1:1 program (see In Touch). I believe our
objectives and goals are stated clearly through these communications. We hope
to equip our students to use technology in a productive, creative and
collaborative manner in order to promote a positive digital footprint. Have we
not been doing that?
Few would disagree that this generation is a new breed. They
were born after the Internet emerged and grew up with Google, Facebook, Twitter
and mobile devices linking them to a world of apps. To them technology is
universal and they use it anywhere, anytime and do so intuitively. During a
recent classroom observation I noticed how “user interface” has become part and
parcel of students’ vernacular. Without any systematic explanation of how to
navigate a new app, middle school boys and girls simply started to skillfully
use their fingers to tap, double tap, drag and snap on an iPad Mini, while uploading
and sharing their learning at the same time. I looked at the students, then the
teacher, and realized I was the only digital immigrant in the room. The degree,
to which educators restrict students from leveraging their learning through
technology, is the degree to which schools run the risk of falling behind and becoming
irrelevant. So, NO, we must continue to stretch ourselves.
I believe one of the key differences is for teachers to no
longer be dependent on a specific location, like a traditional computer lab. Surely
our roadmap must include an environment where students have immediate access to
mobile devices all the time so teachers can enhance instructional strategies (e.g.
creating a flipped classroom through Khan Academy), use app-specific tools to
assess (NearPod), collect immediate feedback (Socrative), adjust instruction (Google
doc collaboration) and still have students create those cherished learning
products (e.g. Animoto). An important question to ask is how do we do this without
discouraging our staff? Our strategy must be a safe one. We therefore identified
teachers who are at ease in our digital world, who can create a contagious
environment and inspire others through powerful, enthusiastic modeling. It encourages
me no end to see how this approach thrills our teachers, who in turn equip and
impact our students.
