How do you Get In the GAME?

I just read an article by Ryan Bretag called Get Off the Sidelines and Into the Game where he suggests that we as educators should try or have intimate experience in an activities before we ask our students to participate in a project or assignment. How often do we say to students do as I say, “not as I do”, create this project – “that I have never done myself”, read this paper / chapter / article “that I have only skimmed” . . . I know that throughout my earlier career I have been guilty of this. I know that when I do ask students to do things that have never experienced before I run into trouble – trouble with timeframes, project management, student learning, student frustration, even behavior and class management issues. The biggest problem I run across is the quality of student work and the relationship of the student product to my expectations and the ability for me to see that the student has mastered the standard being assessed through the project

If we as educators are going to use new Web 2.0 technologies and activities we must have experience using these technologies. Bretag’s bottom line (and I whole heartedly agree) is: if you want your students to BLOG then BLOG yourself – if you want to create a WIKI and collaboratively create an idea or project then get involved in the WIKI yourself – If Pod Casting is your thing then make sure you have some Pod Casts posted for student’s to listen to your voice and your ideas.

Let’s all Get Off the Sidelines and Into the Game!

This is my 2nd BLOG and by no means the quality that I aspire to – but an attempt all the same. My 1st was part of a technology training I participated in online over the summer (Library Evolution). I still have questions and fears about putting my written word to BLOG for all to see. However, I have always been a big believer in taking risks and stepping outside my comfort zone. This is how I learn - through trial and error. It was Thomas Edison who said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931). It sometimes takes me a few more tries than Edison, but I find that persistence is the key to success.

The Time Is Now

WHY I THINK TEACHERS SHOULD EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY

I am part of the generation who has grown up with technology at our fingertips and I admit that I am truly a techno. geek. I love this stuff, I want to try and learn about everything. I believe it is part of my job to know, understand and be able to utilize the latest technology in my classroom.

My students have grown up with even more at their fingertips and simply embrace the new technologies without question. They may not be technology experts or understand all of the wonderful tools at their fingertips, but they don't make excuses for their lack of knowledge. They simply say things like, "well, then show me how it works."

Unlike our students, adults tend to excuse their lack of knowledge and understanding of the latest technologies. Not only do they choose not embrace the technology for themselves, they fight their students utilizing it to enhance their learning experience. If your not sure if you are one of the these technology crushers, look around. Is technology part of your life, your lessons and your assessments? If you answered no, then please try to learn for the benefit of your students. If we don't embrace these new tools, then how will our students manage to compete with their global counterparts. Computers are not typewriters, they are amazing machines that allow a user to literally hold the world in their fingertips. Information is shared in real-time and conversations are held across continents. When our students go into the business world they will be expected to know how to find, access and utilize information to find solutions and disaggregate data. Typing a word into Google will simply not suffice, they need to know how to narrow their search results, verify information and post it for the world to see.

If we as educators don't give them these skills, who will? Isn't one of our goals to help our students be life-long learners? Am I way off base? Post your responses letting me know what you think.