Everyone is connected and seem to be engaged using technology. It is great that students are using technology to communicate with stakeholders throughout the community and the world. One question, what about the importance of the face to face teaching and relationships? Will they be lost?
The fact that all the stakeholders, especially the parents, were involved with School 2.0 struck me. As a new generation of students come into our schools, we must remember, many of the parents have grown up as "digital natives" and by speaking their "language" we can have them involved in our schools and most importantly their child's education. Maybe it will help make schools more accessible to those who feel "threatened" by them.
The plan is intriguing - instant feeback to parents and students, learning taking place in a wider community than just the town the student lives in, collaboration between all the stakeholders and putting technology into our students hands at a young age.
Hilton, has many of these pieces in place, how can we continue to keep up with the technology and insure it is being used to allow our students to become part of the digital world in a productive and rich learning environment?
Not to be a naysayer, but the digital divide keeps coming to mind, what about the students that are not in districts that can support a learning environment like this?
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5 comments:
I agree about the emotional/social implications for this type of environment. I also think that using all kinds of technology to communicate with parents is a terrific idea. I have already added an e-mail information request to many of my forms however, what about the parents who refuse to use or can't afford to keep up on technology for personal use. Will their children be penalized because their parents don't believe in technology or because their parents can't afford to keep up with the latest and greatest or do they have to do everything from the public library or school?
I think people assume that everyone has the technology and wants to use it. Like you that is my concern, how do we reach the people that don't have access or don't want it? As educators we cannot, legally penalize a student for not doing something unless we4 give them the access to the tools they need.
Even when it is available it is not always used. I am the coordinator of our 8th grade trip, the information is posted in various hard copies and live through the 8th grade website. People will still claim they never have seen or have had access to the information...
I wonder if it is important to have everyone be invested in technology. If we think of the modalities of learning and Gardner's ways of knowing, we cannot dismiss that perhaps there are people who will not choose to be "connected" or who are not digital learners. I get that asking people to leave comfort zones and try something new will open people to different opportunities but we must be careful, as you bring up the point, not to think less of people who don't believe in technology. It is all a process!
It hadn’t even occurred to me that future parents will be “digital natives”. I guess that does open many more possibilities for schools to become more accessible to many parents. I, too, question what will happen in poorer districts and less advantaged homes.
I can appreciate what Linda, Angela, and Cheryl have said about those who don't believe in technology. I was encouraged this year when a technologically hesitant parent came to Open House. I showed her how to get into www.burchlearning.com so that her daughter could practice her math facts and improve her grades at school. She understandably needed a little reassurance that she could control her internet filter at home. Shortly thereafter, she got rid of the TV in the house and insisted that her kids practice on burchlearning.com every night! She just needed to see the value in the technology.
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