Our Views on the Important Role of Technology

PARENTS this post is for YOU!! 

The following link will take you to a video that discusses how technology can impact learners in a classroom, entitled Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom. 
The video is a little bit lengthy (about 13 minutes) but it does a wonderful job of providing some insight into why my team teacher and I are so eager to bring technology into our classrooms and make it a central part of our students' learning experience. It is very fitting because it also ties in the importance of global consciousness and involvement, a topic about which I personally am very passionate. 


Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom 


Not every single one of Mr. November's ideas will relate directly to our class, but many of them will be adapted or utilized in an indirect way. 
The two points he made that really spoke directly to how Mrs. TeamTeacher and I feel about technology in the classroom are as follows:
1) "In some ways I think we need to go back to the design of schools where lots of ideas from lots of perspectives are in one place." 
This is directly relatable to our usage of this blog. As was explained in my initial post we hope to utilize this resource to connect our students not only to the local community, but also to the national and global communities. It is a more abstract, and modern means of approaching the very same ends as he mentioned in the video. 
2) The clip from about 11:58-12:36 in which he details the importance of moving from "an industrial model, to a model of worker as collaborator"also is directly aligned with our views. We hope to not only expose our students to a greater degree of what the world has to offer via technology, but also to arouse in them an initiative to become lifelong explorers and learners.  


I hope this has been enlightening for you, as far as getting us all on the same page, and explaining exactly why we feel so strongly about ensuring that our students have a positive and beneficial experience with technology in our classroom. 


We will be discussing this topic with the students tomorrow during class along with brainstorming different ideas about ways in which we can make use of specific technologies with which students may be familiar.


As always, we welcome your feedback!! 
:)