A. The technology must be be interactive. Students must do something with the technology you provide. Just watching/listening isn't an option. If it makes a student read, think and have to respond I can live with that. As a 7th grade teacher that in itself is tough to do.
B. The technology needs to be user friendly. Again these young students are easily put off. Many are techno shy and so the more success they have the more adventurous they will be. It needs to be accessible as well. To become familiar with a piece of technology it needs to be used over and over by more than just the science department.
C. The technology needs to promote a deeper learning. So much of what is the "old way" is limiting. I think of the old chalk board in my room, really allows surface learning. With the SmartBoard I am able to use examples that we can manipulate. One step further is a simulation that allows a student to manipulate and actually see the changes he has caused. I also don't want deeper learning at the expense of not covering the state standards though.
D. I think the technology should be connective. I want my students to know they live in a global world. We start with using technology that can be a link with others. We posted their digital photos of the onion slides they made so they could share this with their families.
E. I think technology should be efficient. If it saves me time and paperwork, it is good. Love the new computerized grading and attendance. Still takes time to get it all in but I can manipulate it to give me more data from the raw scores I input. My students learned OpenOfficeCalc this year for their graphing. They love the options they had and the quickness of it.
Since this is a work in progress I expect to refining or even changing my principles. The readings we did were very good. I ask now is it just "old things in old ways" or "old things in new ways"? Have I progressed to "new things in new ways"? That would be my goal.
B. The technology needs to be user friendly. Again these young students are easily put off. Many are techno shy and so the more success they have the more adventurous they will be. It needs to be accessible as well. To become familiar with a piece of technology it needs to be used over and over by more than just the science department.
C. The technology needs to promote a deeper learning. So much of what is the "old way" is limiting. I think of the old chalk board in my room, really allows surface learning. With the SmartBoard I am able to use examples that we can manipulate. One step further is a simulation that allows a student to manipulate and actually see the changes he has caused. I also don't want deeper learning at the expense of not covering the state standards though.
D. I think the technology should be connective. I want my students to know they live in a global world. We start with using technology that can be a link with others. We posted their digital photos of the onion slides they made so they could share this with their families.
E. I think technology should be efficient. If it saves me time and paperwork, it is good. Love the new computerized grading and attendance. Still takes time to get it all in but I can manipulate it to give me more data from the raw scores I input. My students learned OpenOfficeCalc this year for their graphing. They love the options they had and the quickness of it.
Since this is a work in progress I expect to refining or even changing my principles. The readings we did were very good. I ask now is it just "old things in old ways" or "old things in new ways"? Have I progressed to "new things in new ways"? That would be my goal.
Sandra, I love the clarity of your Guiding Principles, good job!
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