Comments on: Embedding the tool is only the first part!

By: Students are Choosing the Tools–A Teacher’s Thoughts

Students are Choosing the Tools–A Teacher’s Thoughts — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:12:40 +0000

[...] is great to see these kids moving so quickly into embedding these tools into their own learning. As students are given the skills and opportunities to decide [...]

By: Students Choosing the Right Tool–A Teacher’s Thoughts

Students Choosing the Right Tool–A Teacher’s Thoughts — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:50:16 +0000

[...] much discussion about how tech is about learning and not about tools but how the tools are integral to the learning, I think empowering students to make choices about the tools is key. Were this an assessment of a [...]

By: Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:29:48 +0000

Powerful, thought provoking post. Thanks, I needed that- way better than coffee first thing this morning.

By: Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:28:36 +0000

Powerful, thought provoking post. Thanks, better than coffee first thing this morning.

By: Dennis Harter

Dennis Harter — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:03:18 +0000

Would love to hear more about what you did with the grade 5 teachers in your one day pull out.

What did you show them about the laptops?

Another post perhaps?

By: sylvia martinez

sylvia martinez — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:31:09 +0000

it is a chicken and egg problem – if technology only supports existing practice or takes a background role, what you end up with is existing practice.

If practice is transformed without understanding technology, you are still left playing catch-up.

It has to be both/and – and that’s the tough part.

By: Susan Roustan

Susan Roustan — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:43:15 +0000

I absolutely could not agree with you more. I, too, have been frustrated with the word “integrate”, but I couldn’t think of a better one. Embedding says it all.
I am frustrated, though, with our lack of technology. Please don’t get me wrong – we have more technology in our building than the rest of our district does (and, potentially, the rest of our county), and yet I find it difficult to embed technology with the limitations of my classroom. If I want an LCD projector, I have to borrow one of the four “loaners” that we have in the building. We have laptop carts, but only one per 10 or so classrooms that must be signed out. If they lose power while students are on them, you’re done – there isn’t really a way to charge them. Most of the applications that I find useful are blocked for students. And yes, I can get the district to unblock them. Yes, I can reserve a COW (computers on wheels), and a data projector. It just takes time, and often the technology is unavailable the day(days) that I need it to be.
I have personally invested a lot of money into my classroom for certain tech upgrades – like headphones and splitters for “Bring your iPod to class day” – but I don’t have unlimited funds. And remember – I work at Disneyland – I work with the most talented and wonderful people in a pretty technologically advanced building with state-of-the-art stuff. I know many schools that would do anything to have just one COW.
I don’t want to be a “Debbie Downer”, but I guess what I’m trying to ask is how can we embed technology without financing it personally?

By: Colleen

Colleen — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:39:53 +0000

While reading what your fifth graders are doing I was both impressed and frustrated. Yesterday I told a group of colleagues that a couple of teachers came to me about using blogs with their students. We do use Moodle, but I would prefer the blogging be done using an online tool so that they have the experience of publishing on the web and receiving comments from people outside of their safe school community. I indicated that there may be issues, but I think it is a valuable experience. The first reaction was totally negative. “Who is going to monitor the posts and comments? Teachers don’t have time for that.” “What if a student logs in as someone else and writes something inappropriate?” “What if someone from the “outside” posts an inappropriate comment?” These are highschool students and here I read that your teachers are doing this with 5th graders. I am overwhelmed by the amount of convincing I am going to have to do to make changes here.

By: Teaching Generation Z » Blog Archive » Ferraris Or Monaros

Teaching Generation Z » Blog Archive » Ferraris Or Monaros — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:59:59 +0000

[...] in a Beijing International School. So I love reading what they are doing and how they are embedding technology into their teaching and learning experiences for their [...]

By: GadgetGadget.info - Gadgets on the web » Embedding the tool is only the first part!

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:07:59 +0000

[...] Mark Ghosh wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerptWhat happens when we embed the tools, when we allow the information, the personal experiences of our students into the classroom and we all become learners? Embedding the tools into the classroom is only the first part, there is still a … [...]