I cannot wait to start using this technology in my classroom teaching. But alas there are no computers at my school and the possibility of acquiring any in the near future seems dim. Computer room but no computers.How can change really occur if schools are not provided with the necessary equipment? How can I as a Reading Specialist achieve success if the necessary tools are not provided?
Friday, July 9, 2010
Technology and my school
I have always depended on my children or other members of staff at my school to show me how to use different programmes on the computer.Imagine my surprise when I began speaking about 'blogs and wikis' only to realize that they did not have a clue about what I was referring to. For the first time I have had to explain about seemingly new technology 'blogs and wikis' to my children and my colleagues and to demonstrate how to set up and create both. I must state however that these applications in the first instance were very challenging for me but persistence paid of in the end.I am gaining some some ground and the anxiety which prevailed in the beginning is slowly disappearing and is being replaced by excitement.
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Priscilla, hats off to you and I am so proud that you can use the technology and also see the benefits of it as a reading specialist. I really do wish you luck in the future with those computers but keep trying.
ReplyDeleteYou know what, you can still achieve success.We have been exposed to a wealth of information and it may take us quite some time to process.Why not use the time to perfect your skills and incorporate new things in your teaching that you have never tried before? Establish high qualities and new professional practices in education and be the best that you can be while you await those computers!Your resilience will take you a long way!
Hi Priscilla, I certainly support what Shasta recommended. If you use the opportunity that you have now to improve your skills, by the time your school gets the necessary computers, you would have acquired all the knowledge for the successful integration into the curriculum. I just finished reading an article titled "Literacy Instruction With Digitial and Media Technologies by Diane Barone, and Todd E. Wright, where the same situation existed at a school and one of the issues raised for successful implementation of the new literacies is teacher knowledge and attitudes about new literacies (Hew & Brush,2007). This implies teachers' willingness to learn about it. However this is not the only factor that is important. The resources are very essential as well as the technological support and a principal who is visionary about the use of computers in the classroom. Bringing technology into a classroom is not an easy task for a teacher especially when teachers feel unprepared to use technology (Kajder, 2005). In addition to all the problems mentioned, Leu et al. (2005) identified the following three important points to ponder before bringing new literacies to classrooms.
ReplyDelete1. Simply using software programs on computers does not prepare students for new literacies expectations.
2. New literacies are deictic in that they constantly change and require teachers to embrace these changes.
3. New literacies are essential in classrooms so that equal opportunities are offered to all students.
In one of my last posting I made a suggestion as to how a laptop can be used as tool for instruction in the classroom. Research has indicated that laptops and connections to the internet provide scaffolding for many classroom topics, thereby building background knowledge (Warchauer's (2006). Not forgetting enhancing motivation and student engagement. Even if the students don't have the laptops or the desktops to work with now, maybe you can start incrementally by carrying your laptop to school and using it in the classroom. Find out how it can be done. I am sure there are lots of people out there who are using them and having fun too in the classroom and the children are enjoying it. I know for sure that I will try to integrate it, If I was in the classroom. The Ministry has promised that they will be giving laptops to SEA students, I hope they put things in place for the successful implementation come September, like supplying your school with computers will be a good thing. By then you will be fully prepared for the integration.
References
1. Hew,K.F., & Brush, T. (2007). Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: Current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(3, 223-252.
2. Kajder, S. (2005) Not quite teaching for real: Preservice secondary English teachers' use of technology in the field following completion of an instructional technology methods course. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 22(1), 15-33)
3. Leu, D. J.Jr., Kinzer, C.K., Coiro, J.L. & Cammack, D.W. (2004). Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the internet and other information and communication technologies. In R.B. Ruddell & N.J. Unrau (Eds). Theoretical models and processes of reading (5thed., pp. 1570-1613). Newark, DE: International Reading
Association
Warschauer,M. (2006) Laptops and literacy. :learning in the wireless classroom. New York:Teachers College Press.
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ReplyDeletePriscilla, I can certainly identify with you. I too am educating others about Web 2.0 tools!
ReplyDeleteIn reference to your school situation ( no computers, no Internet) there may be a way to stll bring the technology to the pupils. A colleague of mine informed me that all one needs is a laptop, whiteboard and Internet connection from an Internet service provider via cellphone or wireless.
Of course a cost is involved so I am suggesting that this could be embarked upon as a school project whereby there is fundraising to get what is needed. Or you can pursue it yourself (with the principal's permission of course) paying for the Internet service and using your personal laptop.
Either way the children will benefit until the Government's computers come.
Thank you so much for your suggestion and because I am so excited to implement these new strategies and programs learnt I will run it by the principal and staff.I do believe that by using these new methods I will be able to motivate the students I have not been able to reach so far.
ReplyDeleteBernice thanks again and I will be pushing hard for this service to be employed by my school.