Bingo

After reading through all of the matrix summaries I feel like I could call BINGO. Or just like the game I am one away from "winning".  I use a lot of technology in my room, but it is mostly me using it to show the students something.  We do have graphing calculators in my room which the students have grown very comfortable in using to solve many different problems.  This is most evident with  my algebra 1 students who need to fully understand how the factored answer must agree with the graph version of their answer. They are free to use these at any time, if they deem them helpful.

I feel that in my pre-algebra classes I am mostly in the constructive/adoption section. I will take them to the computer lab as part of a lesson or to expand on it.  We have used excel to graph line charts of data.  We have collected data then entered it as a scatter plot, then used it to write the equation of best fit. We have visited website that offer 3D imaging.  This site allowed the students to explore what happens to the volume and surface area when the dimensions are changed.

In my basic skills development class (BSD) I think I'm in the constructive adaptation box.  Each week I set goals for them, (so maybe this is really in the goal directed section) I let them, pick what they want to work on each day.  They work on their own or sometimes collaborate with the people next to them, or they can ask me for direction if they are stuck.  I do love it when they become a leader in the regular math class because of something they remembered from their BSD class.

Just into the second week of this class and I have a great idea for a project after our istep is over. So, I think I will be able to get into the Infusion or Transformation section crossed with the collaborative row.  Next year, I will not have a classroom of my own, but I will work with each of my teachers on being open to letting the students have some freedom of choice when it comes to technology in the classroom.  The iPads we are getting will be monumental in the culture change of the students really owning their own learning. I have to get my teachers to the point where they are not afraid to learn from the kids too.  Like in the TED talk, teachers are so use to owning the information, however this is no longer the world we live in, this new world belongs to the digital natives.

Barrier Break Down!

Where there this a will there is way. Online courses give every student the ability to succeed. If time is an issue for you in trying to complete your education, an online class will allow you to work at your own pace and for the most part in your own time frame. This is the difference between getting an education and not getting an education for some people. People who work full time and single parents are only two examples of who can benefit from this asynchronous learning.

Students who do not succeed in a traditional classroom, can use online courses to break down their person achievement barriers.  Online classes can be used as a credit recovery method.  Perhaps the freedom to complete the work at their own pace will give them the confidence to succeed. 

On the other end of the spectrum, highly successful students can push forward and take more classes that may not be offered at their "brick and mortar" school. They also have the option of taking higher level classes to earn college credit. 

Some major concerns that we have as a school district starting a 1:1 project are, what about those students do not have Internet assess at home?  How will they complete their assignments in a timely manner?  It is not fair to them to expect the same results as a student who has more resources at their fingertips.  Thus, it can widen the social economical status that already exist in a school setting.  

A teacher's perspective from just today, was that she was sad thinking that all of her live face to face discussions were going to go away.  I tried to reassure her that would not be the case.  It truly is going to be up to her, in her classroom to find the right blend of technology discussion and live discussion.  I tried to encourage her by thinking of the students who might find their voice in her room, if they are allowed to type out their ideas for the class to read in a discussion, verses having to state them face to face with the class.