I must confess that I am NOT a digital
native. I do however, believe that being a digital immigrant who is on a path
of digital learning will help me to bridge the gap between what drives students
to learn and how students are being taught.
I have always been reluctant in my
integration of technology into the classroom. I have told myself that students
are utilizing so many forms of technology in their out of school lives that the
use of digital tools was not something that needed to be included in order for
lessons to be effective. Over the past couple of years I have begun to work on
changing my mindset. Technology, like
our students, are in a state of constant growth and change and if I want to
continue to grow with my students I need to embrace the tools that drives their
learning. It is important for my students and the teachers that I work with
that they see me moving out of my comfort zone to make learning authentic and
meaningful for my students.
I am fortunate that I am in a
position that allows me to guide and introduce new ideas to many of my
educational peers who are taking part in out of school time learning
opportunities. These teachers vary in their use and ease of technology in their
classroom. This year it is my goal to integrate blogs into our program, first
with the teachers then with the students. I feel that blogs are a fairly easy
way to dabble in the read/write web so teachers regardless of their comfort
level will be able to participate and gain a better understanding of how
technology can be utilized. I intend for the teachers’ blog to accompany emails
in a way to share ideas and to connect to each other thought the year. Once the
teachers’ blog has been established I will create classroom based blogs using
kidblog. Depending on the demographics of the classes I may create the blog
groups based on grades or classes. The student blog will take the place of or
accompany their journaling time. The teachers and I will monitor the blogging
activities encouraging students to write ethically and using proper grammar and
sentence structure.
Another way
that I would like to incorporate 21st century skills into our
program would be through the use of video conferencing. So often the students
that I work with rarely get out of their own villages so much of what they know
about the world is through technology. Video conferencing within a learning
environment with set expectations will help students to learn how to
effectively communicate and prepare for interactions outside of their small
communities. I will need to work closely with the participating teachers and
students to find out the most effective ways to integrate video conferencing
into the small timeframe of their out of school time learning. Perhaps having
the classes conference with each other on about a specific shared experience or
book would be good place to start.
Most of the
students that I have the awesome privilege of working with struggle to find
success in school. Because this program is not part of the traditional school
day we have more flexibility so it is my hope that teachers will join me in my
quest to find the venue that best speaks to each student.
Now that I
will be returning to the workforce this summer I am excited to begin
implementing some of the techniques and tools that I have been introduced to.
Collaborating with teachers in the field will allow me to share what I have
learned in this course while giving me feedback on where I need to strengthen
my knowledge.
I have a little over two months to figure out a
game plan on how I am going to incorporate blogs and video conferencing into
our program. Stay tuned to find out how it goes. As always I would love to hear
your advice and words of encouragement.
