Change Will Happen - Webinar

This assignment was a webinar that compared technology use in two schools:  Carpe Diem and St. Mary's.  We all know technology is on a fast-moving track, especially in the world of education, and that it is incorporated differently. So which model should we as educators AND administrators follow?  A combination of both, is the best choice mainly because with the Carpe Diem school, the students lacked the most vital ingredient when it comes to learning--engagement.  Although test scores were high, what exactly were the students learning?  They were learning memorizing.  St. Mary's understands that technology, hence, mobile devices, are an added ingredient in engaging students with learning.  I absolutely loved the quote mentioned:

"Teachers give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking, ... learning naturally results."  J. Dewey

How true!  In my classroom (even though I am only involved in remediation), I've brought in iPads which I have loaded with content specific applications that ENHANCE my student's learning.  I work with numerous ELL students that lack letter name/sound identification--there's an app for that: TwinklP2Pop; Letter Toy; ABC Writing.  For my students who need extra help with Phonics--Tic-Tac-Toe Phonics.  For those who need practice with sight words--Word Match.  The list is endless and there's an app for EVERYTHING!  And most of these apps allow you to add specifications and keep records that enable me to monitor progress.

I've had the opportunity to use my smartphone on occasion, but that is a little tricky because everyone wants to use it at the same time, so I will normally use it only if a need arises.  There are no iPads in the classrooms at my school, just computers, so I would love to work on a grant to remedy that problem.

The Rocketship model really appealed to me--until I saw the learning lab segment.  I feel that if they were to move those computers into the classrooms, the model would work much better.  So basically, what I'm actually trying to say is that for our students to achieve the potential of learning that we all envision for them, technology has to be a constant in their classrooms and teachers must be proficient in delivering the content.