Well, I decided to publish my own blog. I've read so many, and have commented on so many that I thought I'd jump in and do my own. It's about time, really. Anyway, what shall be the first item of discussion? Technology.
I'm a teacher in a medium-small school district in Iowa. I'm a music teacher by trade (hence the blog title!) yet I really enjoy my fair share of technology. At home, I'm pretty much a Linux geek, however, I'll also run Windows. In addition, I'm a ham radio operator, and I enjoy building antennas, and building electronics projects, and also integrating computer technology to my radios via radio control software, and digital modes (forms of teletype.)
Anyway, I digress. I also like to find new and different ways to use technology at school. I went to a meeting today and studied the use of technology in a different district, and I must say, I was impressed! They use a 1:1 laptop initiative, meaning that each student has their own laptop computer to use at school. My district is doing this next year with the Apple iPad. As an iPod touch user (more like addict!) I really think this can and will be a great tool for teachers and students. It's definitely a paradigm shift from the more traditional computer based labs. This excites me as both a teacher, and as a parent (I have 2 kids going to the Middle School next year; where our 1:1 initiative is being launched.)
So, the question everyone wants to know is how will this technology affect learning? What will be easier? What will be made more difficult? To me, with students sharing information, collaborating, communicating together and doing so with a tool that is theirs 24/7; this blows the walls of the school down, and blurs those boundaries between school and home. For us adults teaching them, I think this will connect us in ways that we could only dream as kids. Never will there have been more opportunity for children to learn, and the sources of information at their disposal will be unprecedented. Still the question remains. Will this affect learning? What unintended consequences will we see?
It's a very exciting time to be an educator!
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