A new journey begins. In keeping with the title of this blog I should probably rant and rave a little. Once again I have run into roadblocks with our district technology department. Almost all of the topics we are going to cover during the course of this training are taboo and blocked by the district. The response to my request to have access to the necessary websites and to have software installed on a district computer to do the training was turned down. I am sure we are not the only district that restricts access to these tools.
I was told "when these tools are talked about for serious consideration to implement into the classroom then we can experiment with them and learn how to use them." So once again we will be in a reactive mode instead of a proactive one. I am curious how prevalent this attitude is in our Kansas school districts.
These tools are the future. My grandson could navigate my iPod iTouch at the tender age of 20 MONTHS. My granddaughter wants access to the web, at age 5. She figured out Disney requires only internet access to download the 'Tinkerbell' app. Kids today are very 'tech saavy'. Just as 'back in the day' when schools taught typewriter classes, schools today need to teach 'computer classes'. I am in the camp that says kids need more 'book time' and less time on media, as the brain processes books and computer reading differently. Yet, kids can use media to complement their work. I taught Reggio-based back in my home state of Ohio. Reggio uses many forms of expression to show proficienty in skills. Good luck, and press on!
ReplyDeleteYou should ask in the 23 Things Kansas google group - someone might have some good suggestions. And I agree with mattinas - these tools are the future, and there are already many schools successfully using them.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Thanks to mattina and David for your comments. I agree that these tools are the future except that for some the future is already here. As David says there are many schools already using them. My concern is that for Liberal it appears that their future may be a very distant one.
ReplyDeleteDoes your district treat everyone the same? I do like that our district makes some things available at the secondary level (that aren't at the elementary level). Maybe that would start with that step. I know it's frustrating to be a pro-technology teacher in a not-so-with-it district!
ReplyDeleteOur district is similar. I've submitted a list of sites I can't access and have requested access to them. So far I've heard nothing from my principal or the tech department. I'm expecting them to either send the response of no or no reply at all. You know the line of thinking, "if we ignore it we won't have to address it." The biggest problem I see with waiting for the teachers to get serious is in my district the teachers look to me for the technology ideas and help. How can I offer that service if I can't explore the resources available?
ReplyDeleteMel, except for one or two staff members, all of the teachers, aides, and students are treated the same. I can understand restricting students differently based on their age and grade level but I do not understand the policy of placing the same restrictions on staff as on students. A good teacher sees a new technology and begins to think about ways he or she could use that to motivate students and enhance their learning. It seems as though the first response here is "How can we block it, restrict it, and keep it out of the hands of staff and students." We have even had the drivers for DVD players in staff computers deleted so they could not be used.
ReplyDeleteGwen, keep trying. If you let them ignore you they probably will. I would resubmit the list with an explanation of how each site would enhance the education of your students or help your staff better serve students needs.
ReplyDeleteWe are so afraid they will do what we don't want. How do we teach them how to be responsible if we don't show them how to use it. Of course there will be those will test it all the way. But isn't being responsible and learning to make judgements part of education.
ReplyDeleteI understand the frustrations of you and Gwen, I saw it when I was in the school. But keep it in front of the IT departments and administration.
We assume they know how to use the tools, but they use the tools they know, and then when we ask them to use the tools we want to they are lost. There needs to be some guidance out there.
For everyone interested in some tools to try to work with your administration to open up sites, check out this webinar by Buffy Hamilton (a school librarian from Georgia who will also be speaking at ESU's Summer Institute in June) on "Fighting the Filter". I sat in on it and it was filled with lots of helpful tips and strategies for working with your district to open up some of these sites. One particular tool was going to look at the AASL 21st Standards, as some of the standards specifically mention using some of these "blocked" tools.
ReplyDeletehttp://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/Webinars
Look for "Link to the archived webinar **"Fighting the Filter."**" on the page. Right below the link is a set of the presentation's slides and links to other resources on this topic. Hope this helps!
The link I shared above is not active for some reason, so you'll need to copy and paste it into your web browser to go to it. By the way, Ron, I'm your "unofficial" official mentor for 23 Things Kansas. Feel free to get in touch with me if you have questions that you can't get answer from otherwise.
ReplyDelete