I’ve been having a hard time deciding what the topic of my last blog post would be. I’m sitting here at the car dealership waiting on my oil change to be completed. While I sit here typing I am also looking around at the people in the waiting room with me. It’s Saturday afternoon and it’s packed with people. I see three other people on their laptops. There are two women reading from their Kindles. Four people are playing on their phones; one is an older man- probably in his 50’s. There’s an old woman in her 70’s with a Jawbone in her ear (it may be one of those hearing aids designed to look like a Jawbone but I’m going to assume that it’s linked to her cell phone.) There are only four people reading the magazines provided or watching the football game on TV. I sit here saddened by the fact that the waiting room at the Hyundai dealership contains more technology than most classrooms in America.
The most depressing thing here is that the dealership provides free WiFi. In my district, there is WiFi, however it is only for the administration and they refuse to give the password to the teachers or students. Another science teacher paid about $900 for his new iPad but he can’t use it at school without paying for his own internet. Same for me with my new Sony Net Book - I have to pay to use my cell phone as a Verizon wireless hotspot because the district does not give teachers the password. We as teachers want to provide a better learning environment for students and often we’re willing to buy the materials out of our own money. I’m sure in the future they’ll provide the tools to help us but not in the previous few years.
Technically, we’re not supposed to allow the students to use their cell phones in school. District policy states that cell phones are off and out of sight. I’m lucky that I’m at a district where the administration supports us if we’re using cell phones for educational purposes. I know of many other schools where the teachers must stringently enforce the cell phone policy. I allow my students to use their smart phones in the laboratory as scientific calculators, magnetic field detectors, stop watches, compasses, and levels among other things. I really don’t understand why students aren’t supposed to use them at other schools. I get the fact that they can be a distraction but the benefits far outweigh the pitfalls. In just a quick Google search I found a multitude of free Android Apps that I am going to install on my phone that I think could be awesome in school! Right now I’m downloading Evernote on my cell phone which is an application that allows you to type notes, take pictures, and record audio files that can be synchronized with a desktop for free! That would have made my life so much easier when I was in school! I also found GTasks- a simple calendar/ to-do list that can sync with your home computer through your Google account. There is no need for my school to purchase the massive paper calendars for students anymore! I imagine that most students lose or throw away those planners by the end of the first quarter of school. Even traditional cell phones without the internet are capable of handling a to-do list or calendar… we should be teaching students how to use those effectively! It would save schools money!
My district is very good about changing the lists of websites blocked if we can show how we’re going to use them in the classroom and why it’s educationally beneficial. However, there are many schools that are not so cooperative with the teachers. Just in this one course, I’ve learned of so many Web 2.0 tools that I’m sure are permanently blocked at other districts. In my district, Facebook is blocked from students but not for teachers (we shouldn’t be on it anyway during the school day but it’s nice they trust us.) As teachers, we can get to YouTube, Twitter, blogs, and almost any other site that could be educational. Students can’t get to those sites but teachers can. I can’t even imagine how frustrated I would be if I couldn’t use the endless resources online in my classroom. Below is a fun representation of some of the Web2.0 tools that can be used in education (Grey). As a science person, I appreciate that it’s in the form of the Periodic Table.
We as educators should be the gatekeepers of knowledge- the ones that know of and are aware of all the technological innovations that make everyday life better. As I sit here, I am saddened that the everyday people in the waiting room here have more tools and probably skills than most teachers. It’s not that we don’t want to have that technology and awareness of resources; it’s that our hands are tied. We want to bring education into the technological era but we can’t. Below is a nice image that I found of what the typical teacher should be in 2011 (What does a CFF Teacher Look Like?). Unfortunately a lot of those influences are not present in most school districts. My district is far more progressive than most districts (even without WiFi) so if anyone is looking for a job and is willing to move to the south suburbs, I’ll let you know of openings :D
No Wireless Tower Clip Art. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Clker.com: http://www.clker.com/clipart-no-wireless-tower.html
Parkin, L. (n.d.). Cell Phones in School. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://parkin09.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/CellPhoneTeacher
Sadhu, V. (n.d.). 6 Ways to Open Blocked Websites. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://tipsforsocialmedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/6-way-to-open-blocked-websites.html
What does a CFF Teacher Look Like? (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Emmaus High School: http://www.eastpenn.k12.pa.us/teacherpages/CFF/Technology%20Resources.html
