Mr. Berners-Lee would be amazed on how close his vision of World Wide Web he developed over fifteen years ago is close to becoming a realization. I guess in this informational age, millions of Americans are in some shape or form using the internet to publish their thoughts, respond to others or share files.
Richardson also wrote on how education is reacting slowly to the ever changing world around them. Our students have been using technology in their homes that they are unable to use at their schools because of what ever reasons. Many districts including mine, don't have the resources to acquired technology because they don't see the importance and the benefit to the students. In this day of standardize testing, administrators see these technological tools as a " risk instead of a solution" in our educational system.
Teaching in an urban district has it's many challenges, and one specific obstacle is having access to modern technology in the classroom. My school has come a long way from two years ago. When I first started teaching in my school, I didn't have any computers or smart board to help facilitate instruction. Things have change in the past couple of years. I have six computers and a smart board available to me and my students. The school created two computer labs for our use and many more educational tools. I'm hoping this class will decrease my level of stress when it comes to using technology in the classroom. I was raised in a different generation, one that values the personal interrelationship instead of using computers or other interactive devices to communicate.
I can absolutely relate to your frustration with limited access to technology in our classrooms. I also teach in an urban district where students want and need to use technology and yet they don't have the resources. Luckily my school, like yours, has started to change and have created opportunities for students to have access to technology. Yet it doesn't seem to be enough. I fear for when my students start to take their standardized tests on the computer. As it is, when students are typing their writing pieces they constantly need support from me. In a perfect world, students in elementary school would have actual explicit instruction on typing and using the computer in an effort to assist students in feeling more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteWhen you said "I was raised in a different generation, one that values the personal interrelationship instead of using computers or other interactive devices to communicate" I immediately connected to that. I try to provide ample opportunity for my students to learn how to communicate face-to-face and notice social cues but at the same time, today's students need to learn the social cues that exist online. Who is going to teach that? Providing students with explicit instruction that is age appropriate on how to use technology is necessary for students to properly integrate technology into their learning.