Making Due

Things are getting better in the technology side. They kind of ebb and flow as the days go on. For example, the last of my 3 classrooms I use throughout the day JUST got their projector, which was promised by the beginning of school- ha! The problem now is, we don't have a screen. Well, we do but it's just on the other side of the room and although they've promised to move it (yea right) I'm not waiting around for them. So instead, my students and I took matters into our own hands and ghetto-rigged white paper to the wall so we could have a screen. It's fuzzy and bumpy, but for us, for now, it works.
But seriously, what a pain? We get to do cool stuff on it but sometimes it's almost like it's not worth the hassle. This technology thing isn't as easy as everyone has cited in the past. It takes a lot of coordinated effort and a lot of work.

Absences and Technology

One thing I've found that really throws me and the development of technology in my classroom is when I can't be there. I am regularly gone for district reading meetings and Fellows release day (this results in at least 2 days a month), and this significantly impacts what my students can accomplish using technology on those days. Firstly, their routines are already thrown off because I'm not there, but in addition, class can't run as smoothly as it usually does because I don't know if my sub can or will handle all the maniuplation of technology that makes class possible. They could and in that event I would be set, but if they don't they either can't fulfil the plans or don't know what to do instead. Will this become less of a problem as time goes on?

The Tech Battle Continues

So we are in the thick of the school year and technology continues to be a concern, but has lately taken a back burner. I consistently wonder if my use of technology in the classroom is truly helping my students to learn better, or if I'm just using it because it's there and I think I should. I don't know how to "revolutionize" my teaching using technology. It seems that other things continue to take precedence like writing IEP's, and pushing through curriculum
However, the social studies department has started to take shape. We have decided to take on all our old lecture notes and turn them into Power point presentations, with the thought that the program is much more interactive, and can help students to remember the concepts better and give better examples and points to remember using the technology it offers. I am now in charge of taking all the texts for our lecture and transferring it to the Program, Josh next door works on infusing examples using pictures, sound and video clips, and Steve melds it all together. Its small, and slow, and a grueling process, but having others to help me has really made a difference and has helped to bring more technology into our classrooms.