I want to be a leader in educational technologies. I want to bring these technologies into the classroom and discover the myriad ways they can explode open the learning experiences of students. I want to help those with a learning disability take better notes. I want to include everyone (even the shy students) in fun democratic group activities using things like clickers. I want to skype with an astronaut or take the class on a real time safari.
Most of all - I want to understand how to bring these technologies into the classroom without having the budget to do so. Either my rent-to-own bill at Best Buy will be through the roof or I'll have to rob a Future Shop (in a Robin Hood way of course, ITS FOR THE KIDS!) Now of course I'm being a little dramatic as a teacher candidate should not do something that might create a police record for themselves, but where's the budget? Guess I better sign up for Fundraising 101?
This week I heard a variety of viewpoints about ed tech. One faculty adviser said that I shouldn't be so enamored with all the techie stuff because in Whitehorse (for example) I would have to learn to teach with nothing. Good point and point taken. Another adviser shared that his school was able to acquire smartboards because a local convenience store donated the proceeds of their Nevada ticket sales. Of course this enraged some families in the school whose cultures didn't believe in gambling. A lot of DIVERSE perspectives here aren't there? But like my mother always says "you can't please everybody all the time."
....Although you may be able to if you use a smart pen and write them a really nice note. ;)
1 comment:
Fantastic point, and one that's become more relevant to a lot of us since finding out our placements. Natalie also reminded over at http://nmgilbert.blogspot.com/ that technology always has the capacity to fail us at the worst time. So whether in Whitehorse or in the most decked out class in Toronto, being able to teach with "nothing" is crucial. Good thing we'll all be bringing plenty to class, tech or no tech!
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