You know that line in "Rat Race" where Rowan Atkinson says "I'm winning! I'm winning!" Well, that's me only "I'm blogging! I'm blogging!" At least I think I am, because as much as everything has changed with technology, some things remain the same. One of them being that I'm not exactly sure what the heck I'm doing. For example, earlier this week I couldn't get anything onto this blog. Why? Because something was wrong with my google set up, which Chad just had to help me fix (thank you Chad) over the telephone (certainly not 21st century) and when he suggested I might put him on speaker phone rather than keep putting the phone down I had to admit I was afraid I would hang up on him. To his credit there was no laughter that I could hear.
My 21st century technology successes have been small, but they have impacted my teaching greatly. Number one for me is simply the access to information, ideas, images, everything that's out there. I am 10 years into teaching and in that span I've stopped buying teaching resources at Barnes & Noble because I just don't have to. Everything I could ever need is available to me as I sit at my computer at home. As I mentioned in a reply to another post, my class website it a success for me. I use it every day and it has strengthened my communication with students and parents more than I could have imagined. My digital projector has become an invaluable tool as well, something I use every day, albeit probably not in the sophisticated ways I could be.
So while these are baby steps, I am working my way into the 21st century, which is becoming ever more important as the days go by. Example #216-My students are working on a poetry anthology and every day they select poems, place a sticky in the book and I photocopy the page for them. The other day my student said to me, "Mrs. Fiandaca I think I'll take my books home. My dad said he'll just take a picture with his phone and I can use that." Now why didn't I think of that?
Sheila, I do not believe you give yourself enough credit. You use technology often and have inspired me to do the same. You were one of the first moms I knew to text her daughters daily instead of picking up the phone. And, didn't you help with a grant to get tablets in the classroom this year? Your "baby steps" seem like strides to many of us that know you.
ReplyDeleteSheila- It sounds to me like you are making "huge baby steps" (an oxymoron, I know). It is funny to think that there is no need to go any buy classroom resources at Barnes and Noble anymore! I never really realized that the internet was saving me money.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Kristin- I've seen you use that projector religously and I'm green with envy! I hadn't noticed, but my trips to Barnes and Noble have become less and less frequent. I guess my wallet is happy with this trend!
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