In considering the why of technology in the classroom, I started writing about how kids need to learn systems so they'll be ready for whatever may be the landscape when they enter the job market. Nope. I mean, yeah, but I don't have that in me without putting myself to sleep.
That's not what excites me, though.
If I'm totally excited about being in a tech heavy classroom(and I am), it's partly because I feel that using tech allows me and my students to do some crazy, real life stuff, and then we can use the tech to create content based on our experiences. If we're taking things apart, going outside to observe trees, interacting with our peers, and making real life art and food and connections, if we're digging our toes in the dirt, observing different leaves, and playing real games, we have engaged our brains and made real connections to the things we learn about in class. And then, and then, with the cool apps and websites and tech tools, we can create content. We can write, draw, record, read online. But now, when we do, what we do will have more meaning, will have connection, will be more real. Now when we share, and not just with our neighbor, our parents' friends on Facebook, or with our school's principal when he comes to observe our class, we can share with the world. We have blogs, we have a class Instagram, our class makes YouTube videos, we Tweet, and when we make things they're not boring and uninformed.
We have the tech so we can connect, but we do the real life so when we connect, our connections have meaning. When we share, we have something worth sharing. We don't need more young people who want us to watch, but don't have anything to say.
I've said to my kids so often, do you wanna be the kid who watches people do cool things online, or do you wanna be the kid who does cool stuff that other people wanna watch.
So Tech? YES! But make sure that you have something worth sharing first.
That's not what excites me, though.
If I'm totally excited about being in a tech heavy classroom(and I am), it's partly because I feel that using tech allows me and my students to do some crazy, real life stuff, and then we can use the tech to create content based on our experiences. If we're taking things apart, going outside to observe trees, interacting with our peers, and making real life art and food and connections, if we're digging our toes in the dirt, observing different leaves, and playing real games, we have engaged our brains and made real connections to the things we learn about in class. And then, and then, with the cool apps and websites and tech tools, we can create content. We can write, draw, record, read online. But now, when we do, what we do will have more meaning, will have connection, will be more real. Now when we share, and not just with our neighbor, our parents' friends on Facebook, or with our school's principal when he comes to observe our class, we can share with the world. We have blogs, we have a class Instagram, our class makes YouTube videos, we Tweet, and when we make things they're not boring and uninformed.
We have the tech so we can connect, but we do the real life so when we connect, our connections have meaning. When we share, we have something worth sharing. We don't need more young people who want us to watch, but don't have anything to say.
I've said to my kids so often, do you wanna be the kid who watches people do cool things online, or do you wanna be the kid who does cool stuff that other people wanna watch.
So Tech? YES! But make sure that you have something worth sharing first.