I have spent my year with my kids on Twitter. We've tweeted our way across the world and documented our little school community on our blog. I keep wondering--and people keep asking--why I teach this way.
I don't know. The end.
Just kidding.
Well, first of all, I got a SMARTBoard this year and I decided I didn't need the fancy toys it came with...I just wanted to use it to teach my kids that our world is much bigger than they think. Who cares if my SMARTBoard can make a perfect circle? Let's check out the world as it spins right now instead.
If you follow our blog regularly, you know about our treat exchange with our tweeps in Sligo, Ireland. Mr. Quinn and I emailed, finagled, and tweeted a few times to make it work. It wasn't hard, but it was unconventional. And it took a little time on both ends. After his class had nearly entered diabetic comas from eating more sugary, carbolicious treats than they'd had in their entire seven years, we emailed each other. This is what he said:
Hi Christi, I guess you guys will have a day tomorrow like I had today. Once the postman knocked on the classroom door and the kids saw the blue box, lessons went out the window. All they wanted to do was open another package, and another and another. Hopefully they didn’t go home feeling too ill. It was great and the kids really enjoyed it. Some were heard to mention on the way home that it was their best day at school ever!! Tweet us tomorrow.
Regards, Damien
This is why I do it. That line Damien Quinn said--"...it was their best day at school ever!!"--that's what I love. Learning, teaching, growing--and it's fun.
And we're not the only ones who think that way.
The world is smaller than we know.
That was a big and coopertive lesson to teach teachers around the world! I was still wondering since you don't like takeing hand writing tests or any other kind of test...why did you want to be a teacher? There must be a lot of answers so you can tell me at school, tweet me, or comment me back! Well see you later alligator! BYE!
ReplyDeleteThe education our children get will be different yet the same as what I got. Computers were sci-fi Star Trek idea when I was WH’s age. Now I have a cell phone that is more powerful than the first computer I had 20 years ago. Our children will develop and use devices that we have never thought of.
ReplyDeleteUsing technology to expand the horizon is great. Working with children in another country and discovering they are just like us, may lay the grounds of avoiding war.
Because of technology, the conversation can happen right now instead of over the time it takes to write a letter. This shortening of time makes the connection to a teachable moment much easier.
Teachers who use imagination and creativity to develop “magical” teachable moments instill in students that learning is fun and enjoyable. Technology assist teachers in reaching teachable moments.
You can embrace technology and use it as a tool to higher learning or you can continue as if it is not a part of our children’s life.
Our children will be ahead of the game when technology is used as a learning tool.
Someday we will look back and wonder how teachers survived without technology.
The answer is, teachers have always used the technology at hand. ;)