The State of Education

This week, Lucy Gray's tweet led me to a blog by Catalyst Chicago about the use of technology in CPS schools. The blog outlines how Chicago is lagging in its push to bring more technology in the classroom, and why students can benefit from access of technology in school.

Samuel Barnett blogs brings up an interesting point regarding accessibility and the importance of using technology in the classroom. Not only does it interest students, but they are comfortable with it, and will definitely use technology for the rest of their lives. As teachers, we need to be well trained and comfortable enough that we can show them appropriate uses for the internet and how to be creative. Creating a YouTube video reacting the Civil War can be as easy as a web cam. Prior to YouTube, a student needed a recording device, access to blank videos/dvds, and probably needed to be done outside of school. Bringing the use of YouTube into the classroom provides more accessibility and engagement on how these web tools can be used appropriately.

Barnett suggests that CPS should have at least two techies in each building. I would say instead hold workshops and enable teachers to be their own techie, and let students troubleshoot if/when needed. If teachers are bringing social media into the classroom and using it to post YouTube videos students made, or write blogs together and create discussion, we are in turn educating students on how to use these tools to their greatest potential. This is a struggle for me, as I have rolled my eyes at Twitter and blogs for a long time; however looking at these things as an educational and networking tool has really helped me come around to the usefulness of these phenomenons, and I am not getting bogged down with the "LOL"s and "OMG G2G, CYA L8TR" crap that I used to associate with these forms of social media and technology. To show how these can be used appropriately should and can be done in the classroom through able and trained teachers.

To see the article:
http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/index.php/entry/1181/Technology_boosts_learning%2C_but_CPS_behind_curve