I need to pre curse all of this by stating the following...up front: cloud based storage has been wonderfully useful for me. I love the ease of use; I love the channels for collaboration; and I love the free storage space (my cloud of choice is Google Drive, though there are others). In my estimation, the integration of this technology is a no-brainer for schools of all shapes and sizes. (Though its usefulness within an elementary classroom context is debatable). Not only could [secondary] students connect via a cloud storage service (such as Google Drive) in order to do group work, and store collective research, teachers could also utilize the space in order to gather and share data, shape lesson plans, and prepare team teaching sessions, all from the comfort of their living rooms. And while I agree that safety may be a concern (the Novi side of me has requested that I mention this fact), I'm convinced of it's value as a teaching tool. Cloud storage is here to stay, it can be a valuable contributor to school life, and I would suggest that we all take the plunge and get connected.
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At its most basic: Adaptive learning technology is designed to discover the needs of its students, adjusting its content, accordingly; this in order to provide a more engaging and effective learning environment/experience. (My Yesvi side) As an idea, I must say, this sounds incredible. If computers can adjust in order to teach that which students need to learn (and presumably they can), it removes much of the [necessary] redundancy of classroom teaching and provides (what I feel) would be an excellent teaching tool. (My Novi side) I value human interaction. I value community, and because of this, I'm weary of technologies that may replace either of those aforementioned values. Maybe this is something that I have to get over. Or, maybe we need to push back against the thought that technology is always the better, brighter solution. I'm a fence sitter. I sit on the fence, and this is something that I need to see more of, before making a call, either way. This blog is a response to the video, "An Introduction to Technology Integration". Watch full video HERE. I love the spirit of this video. It's refreshing to see students who are in a position to harass technology, not for technology's sake, but rather, for the sake of growth and learning. This is the key to the whole tech integration discussion/debate. It forces all of us to ask the question, "are we using technology because it somehow makes us relevant? Or are we using it because it's driving the lesson, and the learning, forward in meaningful ways?" I love my macbook. I do lots of work with my macbook. I believe my macbook to be a meaningful tool in my life. But, would I bring my macbook into a classroom just because I like it? Of course not. I would only cross that threshold if I felt as though the learning within our classroom would benefit from it's inclusion. So, integrate technology. After all, it's a language that (most of) our students speak fluently! But do it purposefully. Technology for learning sake rather than technology's sake. My road to teaching has been long and (quite frankly) anything but straight. I began my journey 15 years ago, entering into the concurrent education program at the university which I was attending. I was young and eager, but also young, inexperienced and terribly scared at the prospect of having children under my care. I began to question my gifts and skills (as young people often do) and eventually, this questioning became so loud that I left the program altogether. I've grown immensely in the years since my premature departure from my previous education experience. I now have children of my own, in addition to a deep passion to see children, of all ages, thrive as they travel through their schooling process. I'm returning to education in order to finish what I started. But much more than that, I'm returning in order that I might be an advocate for positive change in the lives of the children who will be in my care. It's really good to be back. |
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