Philosophy about technology use in the classroom:

“To teach is to teach how to think.”

"If you dare to teach, then you must dare to learn."

Years ago, the use of handheld calculators was suspect and controversial in math classes around the country, viewed as ‘crutches” in the learning process, that students would become too dependent on them. Curriculums were developed to integrate calculator use while still teaching the mathematical processes. I think many kids did become too reliant on technology (calculators) when I see older students not being able to count change at a retail store or students not understanding long division theory, but instead, just punching in the numbers. I think that we don’t yet know the long term consequences of technology use in schools and therefore must use them sparingly, judiciously, and continue our research.
Technology is one in a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate the diversity in classrooms. When meaningful and constructive work, such as research, is integrated into the curriculum, and computers and other technology are just one tool used, then I believe technology is valuable in a classroom to facilitate instruction. It should be considered one tool that facilitates and enhances instruction of the other content areas while also exposing students to real-world skills that will be used in higher education and the work place. My technology philosophy must include appropriate balance of learning activities which meet the needs of all learning styles and personalities.

Whether it is an emcee reminding concert goers to silence their cell phones, a professor reminding university students to not text during lectures, pastors asking parishioners to turn off cells and Ipods during services, or legislators mandating that drivers hang up, not text and drive safely, we have become abusers of technology. We, adults and students, very recently have developed rude inappropriate behaviors regarding technology. It is unfortunate that technology has supplanted personal contact and good manners. Teachers have become ‘enforcement agents’ about appropriate use of technology, policing kids away from some internet sites or Facebook entanglements. My philosophy of technology must include respectful use and consideration of others.

I believe in living simply. I believe there is too much consumerism in the world. We buy and discard too much stuff. Technology in schools adds to the waste stream. During my tenure as a teacher we changed computer systems throughout the district at least three times to “stay current with technology”. Not only was it an expensive process financially, there was no plan for recycling the “old” when we brought in new equipment. And, much personal and professional development time had to be devoted to learning new programs and procedures. I don’t want to be a part of the consumerism stream involving unnecessary software and hardware purchases.
I don’t want to endorse the inequities of students who can or cannot afford the most current technological trends. I believe that students do need to learn real life skills, and certainly technology is out in the real world; however, as Dewey articulated, school is a place to simply learn, not to learn how to work. If students need career skills, call technology a career skill and not build a reliance on it for our curriculum. My technology philosophy insists that it be socially equitable and contribute to students’ positive self esteem.

There are many books and articles about technology in the classroom. One recent one is included in the magazine, Rethinking Schools at
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/22_04/lapt224.shtml

What’s Inside This Thing Anyway?

What’s Inside This Thing Anyway? A lesson plan designed to show students what's inside computers
Goal: Students will better understand the physical structure of the technology they use
Grades: recommended for kids second through sixth grades
Materials: Get a few parts and components from old and recycled computers. These are usually available from recycling centers and perhaps your school’s storage room.
Various screwdrivers; some pans or pie plates.
Time: about an hour

Introductory lesson: Tell the kids that they are going to get to take a computer tower apart and look at the components inside. Explain that they are to work as a team to disassemble the tower of a computer. Show them pictures of the internal components (board, fan, memory cards, etc.). They are to locate the components and use the masking tape provided to label each one. Explain that they will be putting the parts back together so they must pay attention to their process and all parts, even the tiniest screws. [They will not be reassembling today.]

Form the students into small working groups (no more than four) and spread out around the room. Try to have ‘expert’ and ‘novice’ computer techies in each group and mix the genders. Each group member must use a screwdriver and must label a component. Have the towers on tarps or old sheets or blankets on the floor. Provide a pan or pie plate at each site for little parts.

As groups finish, they will have some fun written activity to do, such as a word search, an illustration of the tower components that needs to be labeled correctly, or the beginning activity that will explain the uses of the individual components.

Closure: All of the parts should be in or near the computers. Clean up the work spaces. Students need to share compliments with their group members about one thing they did well during the process and be ready to continue tomorrow with reassembling their towers!

Online Resources for Teachers

Especially great for elementary is starfall.com. It engages a wide range of beginning readers in fun activities as they learn to read.
Scholastic.com has hundreds of various educational and fun activities.
pbs.org has thousands of stories, historical and nature videos, and current events.
Most text book publishers now provide online sites to extend and expand their text lessons. For instance, Houghton Mifflin's online resource for teachers and students is eduplace.com
Another engaging site is funbrain.com
As a teacher, I refer to ERIC, the educational data base for research as well as lessons.
The New York Times online educational link is Teaching and Learning with the Times.
The International Public Library is at ipl.com. This link is the largest public library resource in the world.
Second anguage learners' activity links are available via TOEFL.
Personally I love "exploring" the world via Google Earth.

Makin' a Blog

An interesting assignment, this. To create a blog. Who knew?