Time to Tackle Technology

Ruth Ayres and I hosted a workshop today to introduce the power of technology in the classroom and as a way to share and collaborate professionally. I really wasn't sure what to expect.

Nearly 20 brave teachers showed up to spend the day with us and I think we all had a great time, despite some technical difficulties at the beginning.

We showed this Sir Ken Robinson video about shifting paradigms in education. It brings up some interesting questions as to why we teach the way we do and what needs to change. Of course the world is constantly changing and it always seems a "new program" is developed to to "fix" our schools. The new initiative we will need to come to terms with very soon is the Common Core State Standards. At our workshop, we took a closer look at the Common Core State Standards and the integration of technology.

What I like about the Common Core State Standards (pg 11) is that they do show a progression - a vertical articulation from kindergarten to 5th grade. The vertical alignment continues on up through 12th grade. Yesterday, we traced technology through the standards k-5 and now have a better idea what is expected of our kids and therefore what we should expect as teachers. Even as early as kindergarten, access to digital materials are expected and their use increases as the child progresses.

I have been looking closely at the Common Core State Standards as they pertain to secondary classrooms. By the time students reach secondary schools, technology will be integrated in all aspects of reading, writing as well as in speaking and listening skills.

Here are a few of the most common technology focused phrases at the secondary level:

q Integrate information presented in different media or formats

q Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others

q Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats

q Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information

Different media formats, publish writing, collaborate with others, and include multi-media components, these are new technology applications we will need to think about integrating in our classrooms.

Technology is not one of those "new programs" that is likely to go away any time soon. Check out our wiki for topics we covered and to access the links we shared and let me know if you found the information useful. I'll be sharing more on this topic later also...