Often times in educational practice, teachers, administrators, and legislators think that technology can only effectively be used in the upper school classroom environment. With this current book, however, the author advocates that teachers can use technological devices and tools even in the elementary grades. The types of technological tools include communication, assessment, and interactive. Elementary school aged children need technology in the classroom because they have access to technology at home, church, and other locations outside of the educational institution.
Chapter one in the current textbook discusses the basics for technology use. These include e-mail and search engines. The second part of the chapter makes a transition to discuss the superiority of e-mail compared with the United States Postal Service. In fact, the USPS is actually losing quite a bit of money annually due to its inability to change and innovate itself with the current climate of technological advances. The chapter, however, kept it really simple and how to use basic technologies for classroom use. It is almost a book for dummies (or those who do not use technology often). If teachers do not use e-mail or search engines, than they really are behind in terms of keeping up with best practices. These teachers certainly do not meet standards, and I would even say they should be fired because they are clearly not modeling a love for learning (which includes change) to their students and parents.
E-mail and search engines really do enhance the classroom experience because it improves the speed of communication and it allows a teacher to very quickly look-up information. E-mail allows the teacher to quickly and efficiently communicate with parents, other teachers, coaches, and administrators. I know at The King's Academy, they use e-mail for almost everything. They even send out the daily announcements through the use of e-mail. My mentor teacher receives literally about thirty to forty e-mail messages per day (and sometimes more!). I can see the drawback to e-mail because teachers might receive so many messages throughout the day. With that understanding, however, teachers must put on their big-boy or big-girl pants, realize that the day will be busy and get over it. Search engines are really good for looking up information quickly. I also use Google Images quite often because it is great way to create a PowerPoint presentation filled with pictures about what we are studying in history.
In conclusion, old-fashioned elementary teachers need to get up on the game and use technology. They have no excuse to not use technology, and if they still refuse to use technology in the classroom, then it is time for them to retire. This blog post relates to the standards which teachers must meet in order to have a success evaluation. The lesson plan book (the current book) is certainly a gem for most beginning users of technological devices (or they would call it "technological terror," playing off of a famous phrase from Star Wars in 1977).
Boom.
Very interesting thought about not modeling the love for learning. I am sure many teachers have not thought of it in that light. :-)
ReplyDelete