How do I use a SMART Board? Should I ask my school to buy clickers even though I am not actually sure how to incorporate them into my teaching? Is it appropriate to ask my 7th grade student to help me unfreeze my computer? How can I include technology in my lessons without alienating my less technologically comfortable students?
Do you have questions? Are you a new teacher with lots of technology experience? Or an experienced teacher with no idea why your computer is named after a fruit? Ask Dawn.
With 25 years of experience with technology and a shiny new teaching credential, we can work together to figure out exactly how technology can work within our emerging modern school systems.
Post your questions here and let's explore this brave new world of computer-aided technology-rich education:
Dear Dawn,
ReplyDeleteMy school has almost no technology. We actually still use projectors and film reels to show movies - you can imagine how interesting and relevant those moves are to my ninth grade social studies students! Do you have any ideas where to start to try and get more technology into my classroom considering the limited funding my school has?
Thanks!
Frustrated in Des Moines
Dear Frustrated,
ReplyDeleteI would suggest that as a first step you speak with your principal and then the school district to see if there are actually any funds available for teachers interested in branching out into more modern technology. You never know, many times schools and districts request grants for undetermined items and they may have something available. This will also start the communication for my next suggestion. I recommend you look into doing some grant requests. Putting computers and technology into the classroom is something that is very supported, both financially and institutionally, by many major corporations. If your school is as lacking in technology as you say, you should have no problem finding a grant or two that will help you turn that around.
Good luck!
Dawn
Dear Dawn, What a wonderful blog you've got! I like your idea of creating a troubleshooting help center for teachers in need of technological help. You shculd keep this up; it sounds like you'd be very good at it.
ReplyDeleteDear Dawn,
ReplyDeleteI also think this is a fabulous idea! The second teachers know that you're a "genius" (at least, compared to what they feel like they know) with computers, they will always, always come up with questions to ask. Using this blog (with the teacher's permission, and of course fake names/pen names are always an option) to repost some of those "stupid questions" (although there really isn't such a thing) for the world to see would be a fantastic resource. I hope you decide to keep at this post-class!