We currently live in a digital society. Technology is EVERYWHERE!!! Kids these days, our students right now, are completely immersed in it. They are practically born with a computer in their hands. When I was a kid, Atari had just finished wowing us with their system. And then when I was about four, Nintendo and more importantly the Mario Bros., made their triumphant debut to the world. For me, this was as high tech as it got. But not today. Today, these kids live in a world of lightning high speed internet, computers the size of paperback books, ipods and phones that play feature length movies and more. And really, do you even know a kid that DOESN’T have a Nintendo DS? I don’t. So how do we reach these kids? These technologically savvy students of ours?
I want to bring this digital boom into my classroom. So far in this class, I have heard lots of amazing ideas. Classroom blogs, making videos, digital digs, etc. And these ideas are fabulous. But they are being used with high students and middle school students. I need to learn about ways that I can implement all of this into my second grade classroom. My students need this, and they need it now. They need it, because in five to seven years, they will be in those middle school and high school classroom that are blogging or twittering or whatever the “latest” thing is. And I don’t want them to be behind on the times because I didn’t bother to introduce them to something long ago.
Part of the problem though is my classroom. My classroom has one computer and it sits on my desk. Can’t do much there. So of course, you ask, does your school have a computer lab? Yes it does. But it is far from current. There isn’t a working computer for each student. And they are slow…. And they don’t have a lot of updated programs that would be beneficial. In order to teach these students, I need the tools, which I don’t have….yet. I also need to figure out how to get these tools to use in my classroom. My school. So you see, I have a lot of work to do this summer. Hmmmmm….Where to begin?
“My classroom has one computer and it sits on my desk.”
Me too. You might find http://www.donorschoose.com helpful. I’m planning to put some requests up there for tech needs that I perceive.
That said, I’m convinced that we can be helpful for students by asking them to think, talk, and write about the implications of their inundation with technology. I think that my students have inclinations towards the technology itself, whether it’s a Nintendo DS or a blog with its draw of an illusive but present audience. I don’t know to what extent they really need me to introduce them to the technology itself. (And that, “I don’t know to what extent” is not my way of saying, “I know they don’t need me to at all”; I sincerely don’t know.)
It seems to me that in addition to learning how to use new technologies, we all need to learn what the technologies mean for our representations of ourselves and our interactions with one another. We need to rethink audience, genre, content, and context. And those things are old.
I understand your frustrations, Tiffany. I think one of the benefits of participating in the writing project is that teachers move from thinking computers would “be nice” to computers and digital technology are essential to reading and composing in the 21st century. Having specific teaching goals tied to the use of technology is a good leverage point for funding and influence with administrators.
Tiffany, it will be interesting to hear how your plans evolve. I think that this is not an uncommon problem. When you have a specific plan in mind, a Splash grant might be helpful, just beware that you need to pay for the items first and then get reimbursed. Our PTA has been willing to foot the bill so far and then get reimbursed from the grant writer.
First electronic toy my son obtained when he was an adult was a Nintendo Game system. It was a hand-me down from his more affluent college roommate. I love that now he’s working full time he has no time for gaming. He used to get on our cases about that “why don’t you play these computer games?” I’ll never admit dial-up service had something to do with that.
[...] tech divide In morning writing, the politics of writing on 06/25/2009 at 9:29 am Tiffany posted about wanting to digitize her 2nd grade classroom so as to ensure that her students are familiar [...]