Week 9 Brian Crosby's Amazing Classroom

An amazing place to experience learning with technology is Brian Crosby’s class and I am would love to be there.  Having worked in private industry for many years I need to ask, how do teachers passionate about technology get the hardware to create those types of classrooms for their students.  In the business/private industry arena equipment is given to those who are the heaviest or most demanding users, creating an exposure to employees of new technology before making large investments in it.

Where is the educational road map of America?  I really need that map because I can’t even get around in my school and district.  If I want to achieve change is it, top down approach or bottom up approach that needs to be invoked?  Brian Crosby, how did you create the opportunities for your classroom? Some of the answers can be found in Brian’s blog, learning is messy.  Teaching in a high school computer lab that has one flat-bed scanner, a black & white laser printer, a set of speakers, and a digital projector used because the room is overcrowded by 29 large desktop computers that consume the entire room blocking the blackboards.  How to you go from here to equipment?

 

Are there or should there in place government programs requiring specific time, effort, and mastery by teachers in return for classroom equipment?  Imagine a teacher completing specific milestones receiving hardware investments to be used by the teacher in his or her classroom. This teacher equipment would be conditional on the teacher’s employment in a public school that has a minimum e-rating of 15% or greater as a starting point.  Allowing for teachers in socio-economic depressed areas access to the tools they need to raise student achievement.  Giving teachers that are willing and able to jump through hoops the opportunity to obtain technology on a regular basis for their classrooms.  I would be thrilled if I had Brain Crosby’s technology access one day a week! 

A one-to-one laptop program is a dream I don’t think I will ever see!  How would students respond academically with one-to-one laptops or netbook program?  I would be obsessive in finding content material appropriate for my students given the opportunity but, let’s not stop there.    School districts must become more open with the filters, beginning with teacher logins.  Is it crazy to want teacher network logins without filters, allowing teachers to demonstrate items that students currently cannot access like social media or streaming video?  This would allow teachers in my district to use YouTube videos for instruction, and video conferencing with other parts of the world, or a homebound classmate.  Heck, I was out of school for a week after surgery and I couldn’t even Skype my classroom because of the Internet filters! Yes, it is time for change.

Week 3 - Media Literacy

Yes, banning electronic devices when they are woven into the lives of our students doesn’t seem like the best solution. Our school has a “faculty council” which is basically a group elected by the staff to review and research concerns, it is not a group with authority but at times provides recommendations. Faculty writes down a concern and places it in a locked box similar to a suggestion box. Each month the council meets and reviews staff concerns with the biggest issue of late being cell phones. When our group began to sort out the cell phone concerns there was a common theme, inappropriate use. Our group felt that banning cell phones was equivalent to trying to hold back tidal waters, basically a battle that could not be won. I thought education could be the key and began to look for guidelines to cell phone etiquette for teens without success last spring.  What I did find was a book by Liz Kolb called Toys to Tools Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education. 


Take a look at this PBS video addressing cell phone or smart phone etiquette.

Liz Kolb's recent interview confirms a very similar mind set with Mike Wesch when it comes to student use and access to technology.  Both Liz and Mike beliefs focus on connecting to the student's world if you want to engage them. I don’t think anyone has all the answers but we need to be open to trying new approaches for connecting education and student interests. Mike Wesch added a facebook connection to the class wiki as a means to attract students but admits his uncertainty with the decision. I think the point is to ease into the possibilities looking for the opportunities. Mike is creative in his efforts to engage students and we need to be creative in our efforts, so that I students can see and experience the benefits of taking risks. Students need us to model what thinking outside the box is all about.

Consider viewing Kenneth Robinson’s Ted video on creativity.