Comments on: Overcoming Our Fears

By: Tania Ferrante

Tania Ferrante — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:55:02 +0000

I teach at a high school in Maine. Our school just got 1:1 laptops last year and nothing was really blocked-the flood gates were opened and it has been a learning process. I was opened to the world of teenagers that I hadn’t seen before and it was enlightening. My son is 7 and loves using my computer any opportunity he gets. We are constantly engaging in conversations about how to use the computer responsibly and I am excited to see the things that he will come up with creatively. By the time he is in 5th grade, he will have a laptop from his school. He is a student who has a hard time sitting and needs to be active and doing. I think he will be able to explore his creativity more with having his own lap top at school, provided his teachers learn how teach creatively with them.

By: Nathan Herrington

Nathan Herrington — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:31:08 +0000

I agree with Mark. Many teachers are ready and waiting. But many just don’t want to learn new skills. As long as our teachers are seemingly ignorant of technology- it will always be limited in the classroom. Even those of us who are pressing for it will be limited, because most district technologies are controlled by district level IT gurus who hold all the keys. They can’t let us loose and keep the digital leash on others. Someone please give me some insight on how to open the flood gates?

By: Susan Erickson

Susan Erickson — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:27:54 +0000

Hi Jeff:
I too have been at BLC 10 and agree that we need to live less in fear. I see the fear not only around the web, but also around issues like having the students go outside to learn. The students are made to be scared of ticks, mosquitoes, poison ivy. So, we need to overcome fears in many different avenues these days. Students need to be able to be creative in many different areas. The filters need to be taken down and the filters around going outside also need to be taken down. Let kids do what they do best, be creative.

By: Mark Ahlness

Mark Ahlness — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:36:14 +0000

Jeff I agree all the way. Unfortunately, the people who need to read your post and hear those inspirational speeches are not listening. The key to the filters is held and guarded tightly by non educators in the US, I’m guessing around 95% of the time. Those are the folks controlled by fear. Teachers, I believe, are ready and waiting for the opportunity.