It seems like every day, we declare that something is the worst. "Oh man, fire ants? They're the worst!" And every time I say it, I think, no, that's not the worst. Dying in horrible ways? Maybe the worst. Fire ants? Annoying.
Anyway, the worst advice I've ever heard about EdTech? It came from another teacher.
When we look at an internet connected device, we have machines that are built for research, for creation, and for sharing at unprecedented levels. And though I may take issue with the amount of things that the district (any district, for that matter) chooses to block, my students have so much ability to learn about anything they want at any given time. The things my students have made using simple tools on their PCs are very cool, but they're just learning. The potential for kids to share their voices in very professional looking ways is ridiculous and amazing. And then when it's time to share, there are so many ways for me to connect my students to other classrooms, and to share our creations.
Oh yeah, I was gonna mention the worst advice. So this nameless teacher from history demonstrated an amazing new way to use the iPad sets in a classroom. If you forward PDFs of your worksheets to your students, they can write on them on their iPad and send them back to you. And great, now, instead of one of the most versatile devices in history, on which you can Explore, Create, and Collaborate, you've got what? You've got a $400 freaking worksheet machine. Horrible.
When we look at an internet connected device, we have machines that are built for research, for creation, and for sharing at unprecedented levels. And though I may take issue with the amount of things that the district (any district, for that matter) chooses to block, my students have so much ability to learn about anything they want at any given time. The things my students have made using simple tools on their PCs are very cool, but they're just learning. The potential for kids to share their voices in very professional looking ways is ridiculous and amazing. And then when it's time to share, there are so many ways for me to connect my students to other classrooms, and to share our creations.
Oh yeah, I was gonna mention the worst advice. So this nameless teacher from history demonstrated an amazing new way to use the iPad sets in a classroom. If you forward PDFs of your worksheets to your students, they can write on them on their iPad and send them back to you. And great, now, instead of one of the most versatile devices in history, on which you can Explore, Create, and Collaborate, you've got what? You've got a $400 freaking worksheet machine. Horrible.