ICT in the classroom

Within the next couple of years (by 2011) students in years 9 – 12 at every school will have access to computers in every class, this is a promise by the government, and part of the Digitial Education Revolution for which we are getting funding. Why? Because ourr students are heading into a workforce which will mean that regardless of what career they take on in life, from educator, doctor, tradie or postie technology will be a part of every aspect of their lives. The technology WILL change before they get there, so our job is to support them to become independent learners who can take on the changes they will face in the future.

This means we have a very short time frame in which to plan for and implement how we are going to address this requirement across Sandringham College. The eLearning team will be looking at how we approach this, and there will be consultation with staff, students and parents to ensure the best decisions are made, particularly in regard to how we implement the physical aspects.
It will mean a change with how we look at our classrroom, and most importantly a change in the way we teach.
So…. if you think the only way to use technology/computers/ICT is by creating and showing Powerpoints or using Google to research you may well have some very bored students who will no doubt (as Lesley pointed out) have a nice snooze while the powerpoint is showing.
Some people just don’t want to use the technology in their classrroom – “But I don’t Want to Teach my students technology”

How we use technology in our classrooms is the biggest challenge teachers face, how to make it interesting and relevant, and not bore them with yet another powerpoint?
This is where the ePotential survey, the continuum resources and myself come in to play. By looking at where you are on the continuum (the chart after you complete the ePotential survey) you can set yourself goals and challenges for how you can start to use a range of technology in your classroom. For example your class may create a moblog for their project, where they take a range of images with their phones and post them online. You could have them creating podcasts, or present their work in video form taken with their phone… The list really is endless, just takes a little thinking outside the box sometimes, exploring what others are doing, and not being afraid to try new things. Not sure where to start??? drop me a line and we can book a chat time, and work through the best approach for you, whether it’s the basics or high flying users. We are expecting our students to embrace change, so let’s model that as well, and embrace the change, try new things, and grow a little.

Please add a comment to this post, how do you use technology in your class already? What ways have you used it to create exciting and stimulating environments? What would you like to explore?

~ by Suz Arnott on October 23, 2009.