Integrating Technology

We have been asked to learn a great deal of applications over the last two quarters -- everything from Wiki to Garage Band to Voice Thread.  I still find myself struggling over how to successfully integrate technology into my classroom.  I find learning the applications fairly straightforward and yet...how to use them?  For what purpose  and in what settings?  Are the objectives for using the technology about the technology (which, in itself, may have merit) or is technology a tool to facilitate deeper learning of other subject matter?  How is this to be accomplished?  I am always amazed at how quickly the day goes by in my first grade class.  To add technology would increase exponentially the time to get through critical subject matter.  For example, writing.  What if I added a component in which students set up a blog or contributed to a classroom web-site?  Would the focus of learning then become the technology rather than the writing?  Do I have time for that when so many of my students struggle with basic mechanics of writing? Perhaps in the intermediate elementary grades technology can more easily be integrated because overall, more students would have been exposed to computers and capable of more sophisticated work with less handholding by the teacher.

Professional Blog Responses

http://theline.edublogs.org/2010/10/04/battening-down/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-crosby/discussion-about-ed-refor_b_777448.html

http://lightlyseasonedteacher.blogspot.com/

Are Schools Becoming "Dangerously Irrelevant"?

Watch this.  It has helped me think about this issue more carefully. I like what he says about the responsibilities of schools and in general, I agree with his conclusions.  I still wonder if there is a place for basic knowledge of facts.  The word "facts" always makes something sound passe..it is not popular to talk about knowledge in this way.  However, it would be nice if students understood the foundations and history behind our country's birth.  Whether we live in an information age or not, we still must navigate the tricky landscape of politics.  Also, whether you can access a multiplication facts table online or not it is pretty inefficient way to live if every time you need to make a minor calculation you have to access some piece of technology. I am still wondering what these new schools should look like, how we can help make technology a tool for connection rather than disconnection, and how we can make sure there is still time for disconnecting from the machine and connecting with the people in the room.

Technology

1. What is the role of the ITouch in Primary School?

I am having a difficult time imagining the usefulness of the ITouch for use in kindergarten and first grade.  In terms of the applets (at least the ones I have looked at so far), they are more or less the same types of games you can get off the internet (pbskids...or any other ed site).  I think having laptop computers or I Pads would be much more useful because of their versatility.  Once kids start having their own I-phones (intermediate elementary or middle school), perhaps it becomes more relevant to have them download various apps or use it for class assignments, calendars etc.