That's All Folks

I have always been on board with technology in the classroom. I was lucky enough to take over for a teacher who volunteered for the CFF program and so I inherited her outfitted classroom. As a result, technology has been a part of the way I have approached teaching quite literally from day one. I have always seen that there is a better way. However, after this class, I now see that there is a better way for me as well. I used to duct tape projects together using what I knew and what I knew I had to work around. I have so many new tools at my disposal now that I don’t have to just make do. We can make a legacy. For example, in the past I would have my myth students create a time line of the events of the Trojan War using a PowerPoint Slide. I created a time line template, threw it in Moodle, they slapped in some pictures and turned it in. Well, now I have Digity! A real interactive time line! This year I’ll be going in to lessons that I like or don’t like for that matter with a better way. Consequently, I think that I need to be more vocal with my tech department and coach when things aren’t working out. Now that I have experienced the power of the wiki, how can I not use it in my class? We have to figure out the wikispaces/lightspeed issue this year. Last year, I sent in one request. What they attempted didn’t work, so I moved on. That was one battle I didn’t have it in me to fight. Well, watch out filter! I’m coming for you! All this being said about my better way, it can’t be just me. Students can’t deepen their learning just in 506. Every single teacher in my school, my district, my state needs to be championing this shift. I feel like sometimes we rely on excuses to get by with business as usual. After seeing the power of the these tools, it is not ok anymore.