If I came into my classroom in Aug. with my students and found a classroom filled with laptops, I too would be overjoyed and overwhelmed. Where do we begin? I am grateful for this opportunity to bring my students into the 21st century. Some of them would probably be way ahead of me, and they know it. My 6th graders already know more on how to navigate on their phones than I do. They are surprised that I know how to text-- something so basic to them.Then there will be those who don't even know what a cursor is.
I have been at LPUMS in Barrigada for over 20 years. We have had many attempts in trying to infuse technology into our classrooms from computer labs, one computer per class, to internet installations, and currently the powerschool grade book. What we need is the support to maintain the hardware and to continually train and upgrade our teacher skills in technology. Dust will gather again on these machines if the district does not provide the support that schools need. The new teacher graduates and the technology savvy teachers will be the teachers who will run with these new tools. Their students will benefit greatly from their expertise. But, for the rest of us who are partially literate or not at all, we will need a lot of help in getting up to speed to bring our students into the 21 century.
Knowing how to get help and where to find help is definitely important for you and your students. Actually a study last year showed that it is a myth that younger teachers know more about using technology in the classroom than older teachers. You're going to be more advanced than anyone that didn't attend the Gateway professional development this summer. They're going to come to YOU for help!
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