The start of the school year seems just around the corner… I have so many ideas for bringing technology into the classroom - my challenge now is to ground them in meaningful projects for middle school math. It’s hard to stop exploring all the many web 2.0 tools that are available, but at some point I will have to select a set of tools and begin allowing my students to learn them. As I look to planning the new school year, I am considering the different ways that I can use technology. How does technology play a role in
- my own planning?
- presenting new information to students?
- providing students with opportunities for skills practice (necessary in a math classroom)?
- differentiating students’ ways of demonstrating what they know?
- giving students opportunities to articulate their understanding and problem solving process?
- allowing students to create?
- fostering collaboration?
- student self assessment?
- assessing what students have learned and still need to learn?
I know this list is incomplete, but it’s a start. This gives me some structure to start placing all of these new tools into. Many of the web 2.0 tools will serve multiple purposes. I can see myself using comics to deliver information as well as a means for students to demonstrate what they know.
Besides the instructional aspects of integrating technology into the classroom, there are many management issues to consider as well.
- What type of parental consent do I need for audio recordings, video recordings, still images, video conferences, etc?
- How can I both allow students to explore these new tools as they learn yet not lose too much valuable class time because of the excitement and novelty?
- What methods work best for teaching students/digital natives new tools both on and offline?
- With middle school students, how do I find the balance between freedom and constraint in posting and creating?
- What accessories do I need for my classroom to facilitate use of technology and collaboration?
In the process of getting ready for the start of school, I’ll brainstorm each of these questions. Hopefully this will put me on a path to productive planning!
