Mr. Benesh’s Online Community

I recently read this (old) article. I had saved it in my Bloglines until I wanted to read it. It is now a few months later, but I finally felt like I would read it. And I am sure glad I did. The article (http://techdirt.com/articles/20061210/230620.shtml) was not much in itself. A few paragraphs at best, but the conversation that followed was the best part. The gist of the article was that if you give laptops to high school students without first training the teachers how to use the new technology properly and most efficiently in the classroom, they were going to be mostly useless for anything but games. The comments that followed seemed to say that most confirmed this belief through various experiences.

Here was one comment that really struck a chord with me:

Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic will get you a job in a factory or fast food.

Technology will get you a career.

It’s time we updated our educational priorities to recognize it’s not just the 3 Rs anymore. We need to start with the teachers.

I would like to think that this is what the Regina Public School system is actually trying to do. First, they are starting by simply getting the infrastructure in place. They give out the equipment. Not too much help has been seen yet, and many teachers are wondering exactly how they should be using these boxes to increase or aid in student learning. Mainly, they are a tool for teachers to make their work more portable, and, in some cases, necessary tools to do day to day tasks (attendance and grades). I truly feel that the real learning will come later. Once they have EVERY teacher with a computer, they will (I hope!) start having more PD days regarding what to do with these, and also what the future is (every child with a laptop?).

If this is not the direction they are going, I would be saddened by the system. I’m sure any long time teacher would say that they are often saddened by the direction the system goes sometimes, but I really feel they are heading in a good direction. What does this mean for me? I have a laptop. Will I be forced to have two now, if I work for RPS? Or will they just cut me a $1500 cheque, and let me use my own? Hah… Joke. But what does this really mean for me? I think it means that I just have to keep doing what I am doing. If I can demonstrate to anyone interviewing me that I am already “on board” with what their system is doing, and already more skilled at it than the majority of their teachers, how could I not get a job?

Moreover, I should start to focus my searching, perusing, and working efforts towards resources, skills, and activities that I can use in the classroom where a) Only I have a computer, or b) I, and every student, has a computer. They can be very useful tools, if used properly.

Here is one more comment that really hit home:

Students are too easily distracted and the internet is more often than not, while in school, used for all but school topics. We sit in class IMing, playing games, checking myspace.
The overreliance on computers, wifi and the internet to have an answer to everything has quickly resulted in a high tech learning resulting in low quality learning and teaching. Honestly, how many teachers have even mastered how to give powerpoint presentations where a student can actually learn when in fact they are just being bombarded with information at a pace that very very few people can withstand? Teachers are slowly coming to understand that more information does not mean better, but how the information is sorted can lead to better assimilation of the points made.

In March, I will be giving a PowerPoint presentation in my EADM class. Nobody else is taking advantage of the projector system we have in there, but I certainly will. However, I will be sure to keep this in mind, and not just bombard information, but rather have some interaction (if possible), and use the multimedia features accordingly (audio/video clips/website links). As far as laptops being distractions to students… well, I don’t know if that will ever change. Attention spans are short of late, and laptops have Spider Solitaire! My new obsession while taking notes in my Chemistry 210 class, because she can not write as fast as I can type, so I play while she’s writing and then type out what she wrote in 5 minutes in 30 seconds. Awesome.

I’d love to hear responses from anyone who read that blog and those comments. It was quite an interesting discussion. I wish I had participated when it was still active.

Dan