Since I grew up in the Stone Age, today's classroom feels a lot like the Flintstones have met the Jetsons. I graduated high school 1997 and my mind frame of what a classroom is and how it functions is still in that time frame. As I have been visiting classrooms and reading up on the technical advances that are being used to help educate, I often feel like I'm treading water with bricks on my feet. I know I've got a long way to go to catch up to this generation. I feel like I'm at a disadvantage to other students that are graduating with this degree but are younger than I am and have more experience with technology.
It is exciting to learn different things we can do with technology to communicate with our students, and their parents. I love this idea of a classroom blog that I can keep updated with what we are working on and what parents can do to help their student succeed. I wish that my kid's teachers had something like this that would keep me informed as to what was going on in each of their classrooms. I often find that I feel left in the dark as to what they are learning and doing in their individual classrooms.
One of the most important things for a student is for them to know that they are doing good. You cannot praise them enough. The book pointed out Instant Messaging as a tool to communicate with the students. The idea of being able to give feedback on assignments and behaviors in the classroom to my students in a way that appeals to their technology level gives me a sense of accomplishment that I might be keeping up with their advanced skills in technology.
Like everything else that you learn, it takes repetitive trial and error. Using this technology in the classroom is going to be a challenge at first for Mr. Wolfley. However, I know that if it's something that my students need, I will do everything I can to provide it for them.
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