From iwasthinking.ca

"Really, it’s not about the technology, is it?  It’s about good pedagogy, good teaching practices, engaging students, making them think, giving them opportunity to be creative and work in teams and talk and learn…"

Heidi found a YouTube video that parallels technology through sports.  Athletes could play without shoes, but why would they?

What a great question.  So often I am challenged about the value of spending money on technology when we can't afford to purchase, train, maintain, upgrade, update.....  It is a good question.  I do look at my life and how integrated technology has become.  If I would have a difficult time functioning without integrating technology, why would I expect students to function well when not prepared.

I return to a previous statement, "If someone said that students should have no exposure to technology until Grade 4, it should be held in the same contempt as someone saying students should have no exposure to books until Grade 4."  Reading a book, learning from a book are parallel to reading from a computer and learning from computer.  

As a Teacher and Learner ...

As I continue as a learner, I learn more about my teacher.  I have always put myself in positions to share my knowledge.  I consider myself somewhat introverted; however, in a teaching role I seem the exact opposite.

Also in a teaching role, I force myself to be knowlegable.  This concept is odd in terms of teaching with technology.  I chose to leave my position at Frank Hurt as the Tech Facilitator because I was expected to be the expert in everything.  It just isn't possible. 

Oddly enough 3 years later, I ended up at the district level where again I am expected to 'know everything.'  The biggest difference is that I no longer try to actually know 'everything.'  Now I have a network of people and sources to point teachers to help themselves.  

With the growth of technologies, it is impossible to know everything.  I have been teaching lifeguarding for 18 years and have always taught principle oriented.  In lifesaving and first aid, you can practice procedures to deal with knowns and expecteds but rarely to accidents happen in identical ways.  I hadn't realized it until recently that teaching (especially with technology) has changed to be much more principle oriented.  

It is now no longer about knowing the answers but being willing to try and explore.  I am not an expert in most technologies; however, I can figure them out based on other existing knowledge.

I am much happier facilitating than delivering information.  I think the rich conversations during exploration and learning are worth more than the information that may have very little to do with their future life.

Kevin