Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
A Reflection on my Technological Capabilities and Expectations
No one will accuse me of being particularly technologically advanced or capable, and yet I have no fear of technology. In fact, quite the opposite - I look for opportunities to learn more, and I resent being pigeon-holed as a crypt-keeper soccer-mom who couldn't possibly grasp the intricacies of Facebook or iChat (okay, this is my 15-year old daughter talking - I digress...).
In my life as a stay-at-home mom, my use of technology is generally limited to the usual: researching on the internet; sending/receiving email; editing/printing digital photos; creating spreadsheets and elementary desktop publishing projects; and DVRing the TV programs my kids are not allowed to watch on school nights. Last semester, I had to produce my first Powerpoint presentation for a class - in French, and on my daughter's brand-new Apple MacBook. I was excited about the challenge, but the constraints of time caused quite a lot of stress throughout the project. I had to quickly learn about exporting and its associated glitches. I ended up needing to use the exported version for my presentation, in which some of the titles overwrote the text (although everything looked fine in the Apple version). On the whole, however, I was totally impressed with my first effort at Powerpoint, and my presentation on the history of the Black Plague in France was riveting (if I do say so myself...).
Originally, I had not planned to take this course this semester. I was hoping to upgrade my home computer first (which runs Windows ME - yes, I know...). Also, I really think this class will be fun for me, because I am so looking forward to learning some new things, so I was sort of saving it for later - kind of the way you save dessert until after you've finished your vegetables. My biggest concern about this course (other than my home computer exploding from the strain) is that web design and other technology that requires visual effects have a creative aspect, which is not my strong suit. I have a math brain, so I am good at replicating things, but not at creating or thinking "outside of the box." This will be my personal challenge in this course.
As for expectations, as I mentioned in my previous post, the term "technology" in my children's schools has become synonymous with Smart Boards, and I was hoping to learn a little about the capabilities of this technology and how it can add value to learning, but that is probably outside of the scope of this course. I am hoping, as the course progresses, to brainstorm specific applications for the skills we learn to my particular content area - world languages. I will be on the lookout for any relevant resources, and I plan to start a file.
In my life as a stay-at-home mom, my use of technology is generally limited to the usual: researching on the internet; sending/receiving email; editing/printing digital photos; creating spreadsheets and elementary desktop publishing projects; and DVRing the TV programs my kids are not allowed to watch on school nights. Last semester, I had to produce my first Powerpoint presentation for a class - in French, and on my daughter's brand-new Apple MacBook. I was excited about the challenge, but the constraints of time caused quite a lot of stress throughout the project. I had to quickly learn about exporting and its associated glitches. I ended up needing to use the exported version for my presentation, in which some of the titles overwrote the text (although everything looked fine in the Apple version). On the whole, however, I was totally impressed with my first effort at Powerpoint, and my presentation on the history of the Black Plague in France was riveting (if I do say so myself...).
Originally, I had not planned to take this course this semester. I was hoping to upgrade my home computer first (which runs Windows ME - yes, I know...). Also, I really think this class will be fun for me, because I am so looking forward to learning some new things, so I was sort of saving it for later - kind of the way you save dessert until after you've finished your vegetables. My biggest concern about this course (other than my home computer exploding from the strain) is that web design and other technology that requires visual effects have a creative aspect, which is not my strong suit. I have a math brain, so I am good at replicating things, but not at creating or thinking "outside of the box." This will be my personal challenge in this course.
As for expectations, as I mentioned in my previous post, the term "technology" in my children's schools has become synonymous with Smart Boards, and I was hoping to learn a little about the capabilities of this technology and how it can add value to learning, but that is probably outside of the scope of this course. I am hoping, as the course progresses, to brainstorm specific applications for the skills we learn to my particular content area - world languages. I will be on the lookout for any relevant resources, and I plan to start a file.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
eTIPS Reader Response
My reference point for the degree to which schools are successfully integrating technology into curriculum tends to be my children's own educational experience. Currently, I have a 7th grader in public middle school (in a fairly affluent town) and a 10th grader in a Catholic (diocesan) high school. These two environments couldn't be more different, both in their access to funding and in their general philosophical approach to education. Easton, although a small town with a limited tax base, generally throws money indiscriminately at the educational system, all the while pressuring parents to participate in endless fundraisers. On the other hand, diocesan schools are subject to a very tight budget which is controlled by the Catholic Diocese and influenced by the desire to control tuition. Philosophically, public schools tend to be more open to experimental methods, whereas Catholic schools have long had the reputation of being "old school" in their approach to education.
Despite their differences, both of my children's school systems seem to have "gotten the memo" on the importance of technological advancement, and both seem to be adhering to the principle that the school environment should support teachers by providing adequate technology, support, and training. Unfortunately, technology seems to have become a badge of honor for school systems, complete with bragging rights. Oddly, as a result of massive fundraising campaigns in both cases, my children's (completely unrelated) school systems now both boast proudly of "a smart board in every classroom." Neither school system eased into this very expensive technology, testing the waters to assess applicability or the risk of obsolescence. Both schools provided training and seem to have adequate ongoing support.
The integration of this very fancy piece of equipment into classroom instruction is showing that perhaps the set of eTIPS principles pertaining to implementation was inadequately addressed. This is evidenced by the uneven usage and application of the smart boards across content areas. Those teachers (generally younger) who are predisposed to favor technology have embraced the smart boards, using them to make class notes available to absent students and animate scientific principles to make them come alive for the students. Others, however, are using the smart board as an expensive overhead projector or television.
Dexter's comment, "Educational technology does not possess inherent instructional value" is key here. School systems should not assume that all teachers can "make the leap" on their own and find the value that technology can add to their instructional environment. It should be generally acknowledged that this, too, is an area where support is needed. My mother, a retired high school and college chemistry professor, assures me that textbook publishers make resources available which support the content of the text with appropriate technology. Perhaps this would be a good jumping-off point for teachers looking for that value-added. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Despite their differences, both of my children's school systems seem to have "gotten the memo" on the importance of technological advancement, and both seem to be adhering to the principle that the school environment should support teachers by providing adequate technology, support, and training. Unfortunately, technology seems to have become a badge of honor for school systems, complete with bragging rights. Oddly, as a result of massive fundraising campaigns in both cases, my children's (completely unrelated) school systems now both boast proudly of "a smart board in every classroom." Neither school system eased into this very expensive technology, testing the waters to assess applicability or the risk of obsolescence. Both schools provided training and seem to have adequate ongoing support.
The integration of this very fancy piece of equipment into classroom instruction is showing that perhaps the set of eTIPS principles pertaining to implementation was inadequately addressed. This is evidenced by the uneven usage and application of the smart boards across content areas. Those teachers (generally younger) who are predisposed to favor technology have embraced the smart boards, using them to make class notes available to absent students and animate scientific principles to make them come alive for the students. Others, however, are using the smart board as an expensive overhead projector or television.
Dexter's comment, "Educational technology does not possess inherent instructional value" is key here. School systems should not assume that all teachers can "make the leap" on their own and find the value that technology can add to their instructional environment. It should be generally acknowledged that this, too, is an area where support is needed. My mother, a retired high school and college chemistry professor, assures me that textbook publishers make resources available which support the content of the text with appropriate technology. Perhaps this would be a good jumping-off point for teachers looking for that value-added. No need to reinvent the wheel.
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