Creating Lifelong Learners

I spent a couple of hours this weekend hopping in and out of the K12Online Chat Room and listening to all the reasons why we should integrate technology in the classroom.  Someone in the room proposed that if only every teacher in the world would watch just one session from the K12Online Conference, we could change the world.  I think that’s a bit of hyperbole (unless it’s my session that the teachers watch).

I’ve developed list of reasons why we’re not integrating technology in school.  At one point it was just a lady from Ireland in the chat room and myself and we talked about our respective schools.  I mentioned that I was often the only techie at my school and she said “me too.”  I told her we have a prescribed curriculum and she said “me too.”  So this list, naturally, is focused on the United States but I get the sense that it might apply other places too.

It’s not that I wish to be pessimistic.  However, unless we can come up with solutions to these problems, we’re not just going to be change the educational landscape.

• Technology is expensive.
  The way we fund education, it is clear that education isn’t a priority.  It seems even less money makes its way to the classroom as much of it is funneled into central offices district bloat.  We can’t pay teachers enough and now we want computers in addition.  Not only is there a cost to buying computers there is also a hidden cost of tech support that districts must provide when putting computers in classrooms.
• Technology is broken or unavailable.
• Technology use isn’t tested.
  I’m not proposing we implement standardized computer-use testing.  However, let’s face it, if NCLB mandated such a test we’d all have computers.  As long as we want standardized test results from students we’re going to have standardized teaching that attempts to align with those tests.
• Technology lessons often aren’t well planned.
  Student engagement isn’t enough.  I know of several great technology using teachers who are terrible teachers. They can get their computers to work during a lesson but they don’t seem to know the first thing about having a learning objective or know how to assess whether students have learned what they’re trying to teach.  The fact that students have fun is just peachy but it doesn’t justify the expense I’ve already talked about.  Technology use needs to be aligned with standards and the appropriate tool for the job—and not simply be based on the availability of particular equipment.  If you have limited equipment then you have to find a way to get that equipment to fit your lessons and not the other way around.
• Fear of losing control.
  It’s not so much a fear of using the technology but a fear of allowing students to teach their teachers how to use that technology.  For the same reasons that teachers could never live without Xerox machines and worksheet companies stay in business, that inquiry and research, independent work time, and workshop are the least components of our prescribed curriculum, many teachers don’t want to risk giving up control to integrate technology.

Please add to my list and/or provide some solutions.

According to this study sponsored by Microsoft.

While the sponsor of the study might reveal a possible bias, I do tend to agree that stories of the internet’s dangers are often exaggerated because of adults’ own fears of new technology.

Whether fears are overblown or not I think we need to be educating students and adults about real dangers of the net and not teaching students to avoid the internet altogether.

How about a few safety rules:

1. Do not reveal personal information to strangers.

2. Know how to search smarter to avoid inappropriate material.

3. Respect yourself and others.

4. Do not meet people you talk to online (until you’re at least 18 and meet in a public place with your friends hiding inconspicuously in the corner of the Starbucks).

Care to add anything to this list?

And here’s a video about thinking before you post:

Here’s an awesome site which allows you to see 360 degree views of locations that have been photographed such as Times Square on New Year’s Eve or Macworld 2007.

Do preview the images before showing them in class (I’ve heard that the night life of Paris might not be the night life you’re thinking of) but once you allow the images to load, I think you’ll love it.

This could come in handy on Captain Pinkney’s Journey as well any other location specific stories.

Thanks to Angela Folendorf for passing this on in her SMARTBoard wokshop at CUELA Tech Fair.

Video games are in fact effective teachers of behavior and content. Students will play them and fail again and again until they succeed. Why aren’t we harnessing the power of video games in our teaching to engage students?

Here’s an article on how violent video games can increase aggression in students. Any studies on how reading comprehension games might increase reading comprehension?

In the nine months that this blog has been in existence it has become one of the most popular sections of Open Court Resources.com second only to the web site’s main page.

While this blog will remain the place to go for almost daily tips for teaching the Open Court Reading program, my entries have begun to expand beyond to the Open Court program to include reflections on teaching in general, integrating technology across the curriculum, and generally advocating on behalf of children.

Rather than having five different blogs I’m hoping with the name change that I can put all of my thoughts here. I promise if you’re teaching Open Court that this will still be the place to get (almost) daily tips on teaching the Open Court program but if you’re not teaching Open Court I believe that the information presented here will be applicable to you as well.

I have chosen the name “Creating Lifelong Learners” because I believe it reflects my focus on promoting higher level thinking, it includes all subject areas, and multiple literacies. I like the new blog name very much (but no promises that the name won’t change again some day).

Thank you for your continued support. If you find the information presented here to be valuable, feel free to post a comment, add a link to the blog, and/or bookmark me. I also welcome guest contributors. Enjoy!