Seven weeks ago
I started on a journey. I started taking
an online college course “Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education,
Work, and Society.” It has made me think
about technology in the workplace and our society. It has made me learn 2.0 tools to use in my
classroom. It has made me reflect on how
I am going to challenge my first grade students using 21st century
skills they need to succeed.
Our society has
evolved into the “Information Age” because of all the technological
advances. Almost everyone has a cell
phone. Almost every household has a
computer or some form of internet connection.
People have questions, they find the answer online, instantly. They multi-task by listening to music on an Mp3
player, while watching TV, while doing homework, and talking on the phone. They read books on a Kindle or iPad.
At work people
use computers, programs, and sometimes complicated phone systems to be
productive. Even at the grocery store,
items have bar codes for the computer registers. These bar codes may be evolving into QR codes
now. Some people can work from home on
their computers. They can choose where
they live because they are not tied down to living close to where they
work.
This online class
has students from different countries around the world. We get the perspective of teachers, not at
our school, not in our district or state, but from another country. It has been an eye opening experience.
This course has
taught me about blogs, wikis, RSS, and podcasting. All of these I had not experienced
before. I can begin using them in my
first grade classroom when school begins in August. I can also begin to share with my colleagues
these great resource tools.
Some older
teachers will say, “I have always taught this way! Children are just not the same as they use to
be!” That is true. Our students’ minds are wired differently. They have made different neurological
pathways because of their exposure to TV, video games, computers, iPads, etc. They want and need almost immediate feedback,
like their video games give them. In the
classroom we can change the way we teach.
We can meet the needs of our students by using the technology they are
used to using at home or they will be using in the workplace.
In the
workplace, people work as a team. We
need to do that in schools. Students
need to learn how to collaborate on projects.
The 21st century cognitive skills they will need to be
productive members of society are 1) information and communication skills; 2)
thinking and problem solving skills; and 3) interpersonal and self-directional
skills. (http://www.p21.org)
At the
beginning of this course, I completed a checklist for my use of technology
integration practices. I thought I was
tech savy in my classroom but completing this assessment proved otherwise. I have lots of areas where growth is
needed. That is one of the reasons I am
taking this class and others to get a certificate for Technology in the
Classroom. I plan on integrating the
many ideas I have learned these past 7 weeks into my classroom in August. We will be blogging and podcasting.
I have three
big goals in mind. Within 2 years I will
have an iPad for every student in my first grade classroom so they will be able
to collaborate on Wikis as they work on an inquiry based Animal unit or
Community unit. I plan to write a grant
and also ask for parents and donors to give 1 or 2 iPads to our room.
The second big
goal can start in September. I plan to
start a monthly technology profession development day for teachers and staff
and parents. This would be after school
and we would share our expertise with others.
The third goal
would be to have weekly podcasts or videocasts promoting activities at our
school and in our classrooms. Teachers
often don’t get to see what great teaching lessons are going on in another
classroom even right across the hall.
This would be posted on our school website or blog site. This will take 6 months or a year to put into
place.
Continuing
professional development in areas of technology and incorporating 21st
century skills into my classroom is a top priority for me right now.
References:
Prensky, M.
(2008). Turning on the lights. Educational
Leadership, 65(6), 40-45.
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