Watching your kids playing duck, duck, goose at a karate party became easier with technology tools. Businesspeople can now work from the beach. We can be with our family and conduct business. Who writes on paper anymore? This statement was not meant to upset you, but to encourage you to step up your tech game. Technology should not threaten you, it should make your life more enjoyable and less complicated. Last week I replaced my fill valve on my toilet by watching a you tube video tutorial. The plumber even took video of which aisle to visit in the Home Depot to find the part. Technology can turn an uneducated consumer into a knowledgeable, wealthier individual. It will turn a bored class into an excited pack of educated learners. Watch how a few pieces of technology will start a feeding frenzy of discussion about anything educational. Save the excuses about your self inflicted disease I call "Mafunzarelow." Many wealthy people want to buy these tools for you. Yes, You and your students! http://www.donorschoose.org/ (as seen on Oprah) has eager donors who will give your classroom these tools for free. All that the donors want in return is evidence of these tools being used through photos of the final product and thank you notes from your students. P.S. write small grants under $200. The $800 grants will take awhile to get full donations. See the site for more details. It's quick and easy. Anyway, wake up your bored students with technology. Thats the point of many tech classes for teachers. If you have to constantly motivate your students, they are bored. Here's how I know this: visit your local apple store. The kids are allowed to use the devices for free. Notice that they are far from bored. Notice that they are smiling, excited and highly involved. This is not a stab. More like a poke. Wake up and plug in.
In the future, gadgets will be replaced at such a fast pace that we will need to rent them and will be available to the masses. Check out this video link on futuristic gadgets and count how many times you say WOW! http://www.jailbreaknation.com/the-future-of-technology
Hi Kevin. Very interesting Voci introduction. You've got to show (visual learner) me how you do that.
ReplyDeleteYour article had several provocative sound-bites (or would they be frog blog-bites?) I would like to reflect on the one with which I connected most readily. You blogged, “Who writes on paper anymore? This statement was not meant to upset you, but to encourage you to step up your tech game.” I am one of the un-offended paper writers. Here is some food for thought. You mentioned the “tech game”, and I thought that was apropos. In order to excel in any game, there are developmental stages that one must go through to reach proficiency. There is the introduction phase, the experimental/learning phase (during which coaching/teaching makes all the difference), and finally there is the ongoing proficiency stage, where one is allowed to systematically reach their potential. Without the early phases, game novices become frustrated and quit when they see others scooting along effortlessly while they flounder. A 14 year old I know is a prime example. Tired of losing, he had given up on baseball. He had not been properly introduced to the game. His coaching was sincere but inadequate. And watching other teams beat them game-in-and-game-out was too much to bear. With encouragement to give it one more shot, he got onto a good team with a great coach, and what do you think happened? He hit a solo homerun his first at bat, he hit a grand slam later that same first game, stole second base twice, stole third once, and stole home once, and played at shortstop, first base, and catcher. In short, with the proper introduction and coaching, he was able to realize the potential that had always been there. Hence my esteemed colleague, stepping up our tech game requires more than effort. It requires modeling, coaching, correction, knowing the tricks, and the creation of a non-threatening environment in which one is not afraid to fail while you are trying to learn. Paper is not so bad for those of us who know how to step up our “scribe game”. What do you think sir?
Ok, you blew me away for several reasons. First off, LOVE the Frog Blog. What is that called? Secondly, I am an old schooler at heart but am also wholeheartedly embracing the new technology of today and realize how wonderful and important it can be to our future (our students). You put it plainly, eloquently and in a way that excited me to learn more. So thank you. Job well down. Then I watched the video. I couldn't say wow once because I could barely follow what was going on...But I get your point! Well done, well done! ANd I might even add a BRAVO
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