Lisa Huff's introducing me to more of Web 2.0 has revolutionized my teaching. With her assistance, I created my first blog in April 2008, and I now maintain over ten blogs, several wikis, and over three pages of logins/passwords to many Web 2.0 tools (had to put them on paper...little ironic, maybe?...to be able to remember them!)
From those three pages of accounts, I have learned one important lesson: one cannot "master" all of them. Last year, I chose to utilize blogs and wikis; this year, I am adding three, maybe five, more. Yes, therein lies my advice to you: select those tools that work for you and dedicate yourself to really using your selected honorees.
Daily, these tools go with me into the classroom, often becoming the teacher, at the very least, resulting in a motivating factor for many of my students. As we concluded in Pre-AP English 10 this week, life would be very difficult if one were to loose one's mini-laptop privilege, for we are so dependent upon them for every facet of class. Great to able to play (Habit 7 1/2 was my favorite!) in class every day.
If a downfall exists to this situation, time is it, for I have to be more prepared for class than ever. At this point, "winging" it is a near impossibility, for I must complete my work outside of class or too much time is wasted (and having now spent this day in a workshop for the End-of-Level 11th Grade Reading Stat Review, I am even more convinced that we have no time to waste to prepare our students to achieve that still attainable goal of "proficiency.")
Why do I want to use digital tools to engage our digital learners? The answer is simple: to prepare them for their futures, whether that future is scoring proficient on the EOL Literacy Exam, making money by scoring high on the ACT, or preparing them for life after BHS (college or work...or should I say outsourcing?). To not do all that we can do to prepare these momma and daddy's babies for their futures is to set them up for failure. Thus, if I cannot make that commitment, then, I need to get out of education. Yesterday.
Just glad I have tomorrow. Better get busy planning, for tomorrow our information data base will have grown, and my babies need to know how to access that new data.
As I read your post for the second time, I remembered on the first read, being amazed and quite shocked at the number of blogs and wikis you have activated. However, as this process unfolds, I realize the significance of these new tools in the classroom and it seems I, too, am reaching for more blogs and wikis rather than the usual paper and pencil tool. True, it was much easier to "wing it" if necessary when one relied on paper and pencil, however, student interest is at an all time high in my classroom, and that makes all the work worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteSo true! How did we ever teach before the time of the mini!?
ReplyDelete