Using Technology as a Tool
“Technology is not the driver, it only serves as a facilitator.” (Quote on Twitter today)
Tonight I feel a little bit like a kid at the fair…sights and sounds are whirring by, confusion abounds, excitement mounts, and I don’t know where to focus my attention. It’s a little overwhelming, very exciting, and somewhat daunting. Our teacher book club met tonight to discuss The Digital Writing Workshop. We all agreed that there is so much to think about and how do you know where to start? We are almost finished with the book and I’ve had quite a bit of time to digest the information and let it wander through my thoughts. I feel like I have a little better handle on wikis, blogs, and digital storytelling, but I still have so many questions that can’t be answered until I jump in and try some new things.
Some of the things I am thinking about…
How do I want to use 21st century tools in my classroom?
How do I choose what technologies to use first? I know that I can’t do it all, even though I want to.
What will my students need to know in order to be successful?
How will the use of technology enhance my students’ learning? When is it appropriate to use technology and when is it better to use more traditional methods?
How do I help my students understand all the facets of composition?
How can I use portfolios to illustrate student growth over the school year?
In what areas am I comfortable so that I can support my students’ learning?
Where will I need help from the technology teacher?
Will my students have access to needed equipment?
How can parents be actively involved?
I want my students to use 21st century tools authentically and purposefully. I don’t want to use technology to do the same projects I’ve done in the past. I want my students to be active decision makers in this process.
So where to start? I need to think about my goals for my students, look at the curriculum, and decide how to integrate it all together. My work this summer in the multi-modal class gave me lots of ideas for digital storytelling and I think I’d like to explore a class blog. I’ve been blogging for over a year now and I’m curious about how blogging can support my curriculum.
I’d be interested to hear from others about what they are doing with 21st century tools, useful websites, or how they’ve answered some of the questions I posted above. It’s going to be an interesting year as I journey down this path.
