I just started my second class at Walden University. I currently teach 9th grade English in a small school located in Central Pennsylvania. I went back to teaching in Dec. of '08, after a 16 year break to raise my children.
Technology has changed so much since my last teaching experience. Cell phones, projectors, lap tops and computers in general, have become such a big part of our world.
Do you feel that your school is keeping up with the latest technology and offering students and teachers adequate training and equipment? Please take a moment and share your thoughts with me.
Lora
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Lora -
ReplyDeleteFirst, your blog looks fantastic! Is that you and one of your students or your son? What a great photo! I'm not even going to ask how you managed to do that.
In response to your post - my school/district has quite a bit of technology but is extremely limited in supply. For example, we have 2 computer labs that are constantly booked months in advance and we have a laptop cart but internet access is not available as we are not wireless. All students have an account in which to save all of their work and they have a password to different things that the school pays big bucks to subscribe to. Many teachers have SmartBoards but those are in the senior/tenured teachers' classrooms.
As far as training - between team, faculty, curriculum and department meetings every month plus mandatory after-school help, we barely have time. The trainings are offered sporadically throughout the year but are not advertised or promoted so with everyone's schedule it gets lost in the shuffle. I hope this class will be able to show me somethings that I can use.
Maria
That is my son, the picture was taken at my niece's wedding. My husband just randomly snapped that picture.
ReplyDeleteYour situation sounds very similar to mine. We are also not wireless and good luck getting into our one and only lab. Wish I had a smartboard, one can dream! No formal training,yet...
I am really not very computer literate. Everything I know has been self-taught. I can only improve and learn more, just hope I can hang.
Thanks for responding and good luck with this course.
Lora
Hi-ya, ha ha when i went to school we didn't even have computers or music or anything really, kids these days have got it good.
ReplyDeleteHi Lora,
ReplyDeleteI do feel my school is making an effort to keep up with technology. However, I do not feel there is enough time for educators to learn effective ways to use the technology.
One question, any ideas about how to integrate cell phones effectively into a lesson?
Thanks,
James
James,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. I don't have enough time to correct papers, to plan or even go to the bathroom on a normal day.
I am not sure how to intergrate cell phones into a lesson. I have read articles from educational journals that suggest sending homework and upcoming assignments. They also suggest that using cell phones will soon be a standard practice.
Not at my school, no cellular devices are used during the school day or allowed (we all know better, LOL! Hence the blank stares into the purses and the twitching fingers in the pockets!).
Lora