How Do We Combat Anti-Techie's??

Believe it or not, there are actually some students in our digital, technologically advanced world who have adopted the beliefs of perhaps their parents or grandparents in not using and becoming infused with technology.  While I do not normally have a problem with a student wanting to use technology because it offers the opportunity for them to be creative and actually get excited about a lesson or project, there are some who cringe at the very mention and thought of it.  How do we combat these issues and help these students who want no parts of technology to not only use it but actually see the benefits of its use?? 

Any takers.....?

Example Multicultural Project

This is my Example Project for my students.

I created this project in a certain because I wanted to create a discussion that would lead the students to think creatively.
I designed it this way to begin a conversation with my students about what could have been done to enhance the project. Should I have added more graphics? More information? More audio? What more could have been done to make this project better than it is in its current state?

*The intended grade level for this project is 9-12
*The course for this project is Reading (Intensive Language Arts)


I would really like your feedback on whether or not it is a good idea to give an example project that isn't exactly stunning in an effort to spark student creativity and thought process....THANKS!!

Here's the link to the presentation: http://prezi.com/2kcrjsxpl-vh/multicultural-project-example/

Celebrating Multi-Cultural Heritage!!

So, often it seems that in history courses the contributions of those from multicultural backgrounds are either widely ignored or not given the attetnion they rightly deserve in textbooks so I want for my students to teach each other about important figures from a multicultural background of their choosing and explain the significance of this person to their culture and to our world..


For this assignment, I will have to do some explorations with the students on conducting research and how to pick and choose credible, reliable sources.  I will also go over the importance of citing references being used in their work and how to go about doing so.  Students will also need to become familiar the different presentation tools that they may use on their computers with pre-installed software or through the use of free software and presentation programs via the Internet.

In order to give students an idea of to build their ideas upon, I will show my own digital story.  This story will be inclusive of all elements including video, sound, graphics and audio.  As we all know, our students often times are light years ahead of us in these areas, and I'm sure they will be able to take basic ideas to the next level if given the opportunity.

With this project, I want students to be able to develop and fine tune their research and writing skills.  I want them to understand all the elements involved in creating and telling a story and how to use technology to do so.  I want them to show themselves true digital learners and teachers!

Digital Storytelling

Check out my presentation PREZI on Digital Storytelling...ENJOY!!

Education in the 21st Century - Digital Storytelling on Prezi

Should Leaders in Technology Invest In Our Schools?

Companies Investing In Schools...

When we think about technology in our schools, it is fair to say that this thought is very much associated with the mighty dollar bill.  In times where funding is being cut in our schools and we are having to juggle everything from teacher positions to bus routes in order to stay afloat, where can we turn to in an effort to fund technology in our schools?

I know that select companies do provide scholarships, grants, fellowships and other financial assistance to higher education institutions, but I do not believe (at least on a wide scale), that this exists at the high school level.  Perhaps, if some of the revolutionary technology companies donated more computers and technology this could help to dramatically offset the costs to school districts. 

I think about my local school district and its budget shortfalls.  I do understand that some businesses are trying their best to stay afloat, but what about those companies who are still thriving?  I often think of oil companies and their billion dollar profits.  I wonder, how much of that goes back into our communitites to provide better education and resources for our children.  I mean, doesn't an investment in our children mean an investment in our society's future? 

I wonder why it is that the majority of companies don't invest in K-12 institutions.  I understand the need to train and prepare college students, but think of the many kids whose lives might be changed if perhaps programs, courses, etc. are offered at the K-12 level. 

What do you think?

Technology in Education: Fair or Unfair?

Does money unlock opportunities for those who can afford it?

As I held a conversation with two of my students yesterday, I began to ask them their takes on using technology in education.  While both students agree that it is nice to be able to use technology, they did state that there are just some things they'd rather learn the old fashion way.  But this is not what stood out most to me.  One of my students made a comment that truly made me think.  He said to me that one thing that bothers him is that other student's whose parents can afford to buy them the same (or better) technology that they use in school have an advantage over student's whose parents cannot afford to buy them the technology used in school.  He said that they have more time at home to practice and play with the technology and learn all the ins and outs about it.  The only time student's whose parents can't afford to buy it get to use it is in class.  There may be times when they complete tasks slower because they are still trying to get adjusted to using the technology.  He said that this "plays with people's minds" because not being able to keep up is embarassing and frustrating. 

So, what do we suggest for students who don't have the benefit of affording the technology that we use in our classrooms?  Not every school has the benefit of supplying students with their school assigned technologies to be taken home.  The costs would soar through the roof!  How can we close the gap between the advantaged and the disadvantaged when it comes to the affordability of technology?  When my student said this to me, it reminded me of a time in high school.  When I was in high school, graphing calculators became a big deal.  There were the newest thing.  I can recall that my Math Teacher wanted her students to all have a TI-83 calculator.  I was fortunate enough that my parents could afford to buy me one, but that was not the case for all of my classmates.  At the time, the calculators were well over $100.  So, some students had to look on the calculators of other students and did not have the advantage of using the calculators very much.  Was this fair to the students?  Are we being fair to students now?  What do you think?

Module 3 Post - "Will We Have the Funding?"

Will We Have the Funding for Technology in Education?

In times where teachers, resources and technology are being cut, will we have the money to fund technology in education?  Technology is always changing.  Companies are always looking to outdo their last product.  Look at Apple for instance.  It seems as though every 12-18 months they are putting out a product that goes a bit further than the last.  If you are an Apple customer, you are accustomed to the many software upgrades that you may have to download to your product. 

We are seeing all over the country, and especially here in our own state, how budget cuts affect our education system.  If we cannot fund newer textbooks how are we to fund technology (especially when it's ever changing).  Often times we have schools with outdated computers and how are we to truly equip our students for a tech savy world if we don't have up to par equipment? 

We can search all over the internet and find hundreds of great resources for technology in our classrooms.  There are truly some very innovative things going on in the world of education.  Unfortunately, certain schools and districts don't receive the necessary funding to implement these revolutionary technologies in their classrooms and we're stuck with children who won't be able to keep up with children in areas that are fortunate to provide them extensive experience with the use of technology.

Does anyone else see this as a problem where you are?