"I felt so good, like anything was possible. Hit cruise control, then rubbed my eyes..." -- Tom Petty
This quote is the way that life has been the past few months. The opportunities being presented in educational technology are beyond impressive. Being in a district that promotes the progressive mindset of promoting the proper and faithful use of technology has been a blessing that is certainly not taken for granted by anyone on our incredible team. We have worked very hard to get where we are today, making it all the more worthwhile when opportunities present themselves.
This quote is the way that life has been the past few months. The opportunities being presented in educational technology are beyond impressive. Being in a district that promotes the progressive mindset of promoting the proper and faithful use of technology has been a blessing that is certainly not taken for granted by anyone on our incredible team. We have worked very hard to get where we are today, making it all the more worthwhile when opportunities present themselves.
This March, the AppsInClass will be presenting a series of sessions at the 2013 Annual CUE Conference, covering a range of uses for iPads and general technology in a classroom setting. Make sure you check the site for updates on session topics, dates, times, and extra resources (You can also follow us on Twitter). Taking the time to collaborate with our colleagues and share what we have learned is the best part about what we do. This makes for a good time to reflect on what it is that we have been doing and how amazing this actually is.
"There's somethin' good, waiting down the road" -- Tom Petty
This video, to me, is inspiring. There are clips in here that are questionably a "hoax", but they are incredible nonetheless. These things either can't be done or can't be explained. Watching this video, you can see the determination of the human spirit that propels these individuals to master something that the overwhelming majority of society can't even fathom.
Giving way to what we are working on now, I feel like this is a similar (in a much smaller scale, of course) goal to strive for. Being around a group of technology-proficient educators is a great feeling, but it often hinders the reality of the full scale of technology integration in districts around the country (and world, for that matter). As members of CUE, ISTE, MACUL, or other ed-tech communities, we are surrounded by other computer-using educators that have the same mindset.
We tend to forget that the majority of educators are not as enthused or comfortable with the latest, greatest, technologies that come available. Anywhere from "Where is the power cord?" to "If I press harder on the screen, will the app open?" are reality-based questions that we need to acknowledge and appreciate as our fellow educators begin to feel more comfortable with the use of technology.
It isn't an easy road, no doubt. There are always going to be those who resist change and those who wrap their arms around it. Getting teachers to embrace this change and welcome it will be an imperfect art, but using the tools that we have to support them will make our jobs just a little bit easier.
Solely on the iPad and iOS platform, there are a plethora of discoveries that we take for granted:
As we begin to shift to a stronger 1:1 program or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) network, it is necessary to acknowledge all levels of tech-savvy. Taking the time to address the reluctance to integrate and accept new technologies will allow a school, and district, a chance to bring everyone along at a comfortable and confident pace.
If we are able to do this, the road ahead is sure to be much brighter than we could have ever imagined. Our dreams transition into reality while our "running to stay on track" evolves into a fun run that no one will soon forget!
Oh yeah, just for your viewing pleasure, Tom has a few things to say about your ambition to bring 21st century technology to your school...
This video, to me, is inspiring. There are clips in here that are questionably a "hoax", but they are incredible nonetheless. These things either can't be done or can't be explained. Watching this video, you can see the determination of the human spirit that propels these individuals to master something that the overwhelming majority of society can't even fathom.
Giving way to what we are working on now, I feel like this is a similar (in a much smaller scale, of course) goal to strive for. Being around a group of technology-proficient educators is a great feeling, but it often hinders the reality of the full scale of technology integration in districts around the country (and world, for that matter). As members of CUE, ISTE, MACUL, or other ed-tech communities, we are surrounded by other computer-using educators that have the same mindset.
We tend to forget that the majority of educators are not as enthused or comfortable with the latest, greatest, technologies that come available. Anywhere from "Where is the power cord?" to "If I press harder on the screen, will the app open?" are reality-based questions that we need to acknowledge and appreciate as our fellow educators begin to feel more comfortable with the use of technology.
It isn't an easy road, no doubt. There are always going to be those who resist change and those who wrap their arms around it. Getting teachers to embrace this change and welcome it will be an imperfect art, but using the tools that we have to support them will make our jobs just a little bit easier.
Solely on the iPad and iOS platform, there are a plethora of discoveries that we take for granted:
- Handing off the iPad to have students create their own authentic content
- Delivering dynamic instruction with an abundance of multimedia
- Finding new and incredible apps that stretch the imagination and push the limits of understanding
- Storage and file management
- Classroom Management in a fun and engaging way
- And so much more!
As we begin to shift to a stronger 1:1 program or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) network, it is necessary to acknowledge all levels of tech-savvy. Taking the time to address the reluctance to integrate and accept new technologies will allow a school, and district, a chance to bring everyone along at a comfortable and confident pace.
If we are able to do this, the road ahead is sure to be much brighter than we could have ever imagined. Our dreams transition into reality while our "running to stay on track" evolves into a fun run that no one will soon forget!
Oh yeah, just for your viewing pleasure, Tom has a few things to say about your ambition to bring 21st century technology to your school...
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