a letter to the labtop carts

Dear Laptop Computers in carts,

I am thankful that my high school makes you available and that my students have the opportunity to experience all you have to offer.  However, you are sometimes unreliable and cause more trouble than I’d like to deal with.  When I design a lesson that requires your services, I usually have a backup plan.  First, I should apologize for the way my students treat you.  They toss you around like beach ball and carry you like a book.  I try to explain to them that you are not an ordinary cheap toy that can be handled lightly, but they are so accustomed to technology that they don’t think like that.  Secondly, I would appreciate if you could try to connect with the wireless server a bit faster so we don’t have to waste half the period waiting instead of learning.  In addition, it would help if you actually held a charge so that I don’t have to listen to whining and moaning when a student loses all their work.  The orange flashing battery light does not registrar with some kids.  I’m not so sure if the charge thing is your fault exactly.  Maybe I should teach my students the importance of plugging you in when they return you to your home.  Also, if you are not functioning properly, could you display a message that says, “Shut me down and try another laptop.”  That would save me from much repetition and frustration.  Thank you for your time. I eagerly await your response.

Best,

Lisa

Instruction and Technology

I was inspired by this week’s reading to reflect upon my instruction delivery.  It’s clear that the students of today do not respond well to lecture and that teachers need to change their roles to more of a mentor status than an instructor.  Lessons should be designed so that students can explore and collaborate in situations that are applicable to real-life.  This will prepare them for what the community needs because our society functions by making important decisions and helping each other understand. 

Technology is at the head of these societal changes so it’s obvious that teachers should include it in their lesson design.  I feel I’ve always embraced technology but now I’m taking a look at how I use it to deliver a lesson.  Simply asking students to produce PowerPoints and/or Excel charts is just not good enough.   Students should be allowed to be owners of the content, by being able to manipulate and sort data as opposed to just imputing data. The learning should have lasting value.  Thank you databases! 

ACTS works!

This week in class, I’ve introduced my students to Topographic maps.  At some point during the block, one of my students raised his hand and asked something like, “When would someone use this?”  Gasp!  I forgot to give them an Authentic Problem!  I was just spoon feeding them information about the maps…where to find this, what these lines mean, what that refers to.  I answered his question and he seemed satisfied and listened as I continued to describe the differences between topographic maps and the others they used.

Sometimes I do not like block scheduling, but on this occasion its structure allowed me to look at my topographic map introduction again and apply the ACTS design principle.  This time I had my students explore the maps and discover the differences on their own.  Then after a group discussion I proposed an authentic problem- The County needs to build a new road… Where is the best path?  They drew maps showing their chosen course, which I will give to the county engineers to look over ;) 

The students were engaged and excited.  They were critically thinking and creating.  I was surprised at how a small change in lesson design could affect the outcome of student learning.  I want a do-over for my A-day students who I always feel badly for anyway because they get the trial run of my lessons.