PEC wants your help in planning for technology by taking a brief online survey. Click here to go to the PEC home page. The link is on the far right, the second one under the large 'Join Central News' link. You'll enter 'Paul Ecke' to find the correct school and the survey takes about five minutes to complete. Your response will guide where PEC/EUSD go with technology. The PTA has funds earmarked for a consultant to be in the tech lab and this survey offers many options for your opinions on what you would see is important for students to be doing with technology beyond Success Maker!
6 comments:
Isn't computer technology over hyped for use in K-6?
I agree with Anonymous - especially for K-3.
The kids should learning the 3R's, not logging on to PBS.com
(Exception = successmaker)
Upper grades (4-6) begin to introduce computerskills, with a defined curriculm, not random (game playing) usage.
Unfortunately, your understanding of technology education is limited. Students I teach in my computer lab are creating podcasts to share their learning with their peers, learning internet safety and web etiquette, research skills and having video conferences with National Park rangers and designing structures to withstand earthquakes using CAD software. Sadly, if PBS.com is all you know of technology education, then you need to do some homework. First, educate yourself on what successful educators are doing with technology nationwide and second, fill out the survey! If you are commenting on a blog, put yourself in the top 20% of internet users so 'over-hyped' seems contrary to the reality of your use of technology.
My kids helped me set up my web site after they took an enrichment class on web site design. By fourth grade, they knew how to turn the standard book report into a visually and musically pleasing powerpoint presentation. Anytime I have a question about technology, which is often because I am a digital immigrant, I ask a digital native, our kids. Technology can be used to enhance learning - Success Maker, ALEKS, Reading Counts, Math 24, are a few examples.
You are correct - it would be very unfortunate, if my understanding of technology education was limited to what my lower grade child tells me they do in "technology class" which is log on to pbs.com or funbrain.com. This would therefore be the school / teacher's definition of "technology education", not mine. Again, you are right, if PBS.com is all my child's teacher / school know of technology education, then they need to do some homework; I would love for my child's teachers to be knowledgeable on what successful educators are doing with technology nationwide.
With that said, I'd love to meet the K, 1st or even 2nd graders that can create a powerpoint presentation, visit a chat room, hone their research skills, initiate a video conference or use CAD software when the majority of them can barely read. Lower grade kids should focus on reading, writing & math, (hopefully taking full advantage of technology to enhance their learning), but not be wasting time learning how to use clip art or download to an ipod.
I'm impressed by Mary Page's kids, though note that they had to take an enrichment class to learn web site design; it was presumably not taught as part of a regular curriculum. My friend with an older kid that started middle school this year said half the class were powerpoint proficient; the other half not. It seems hit & miss if a student has a district / school / teacher / parent that is technology / computer savvy, and that share that knowledge with their students. How many of the EUSD schools teach powerpoint to 3rd graders?
Here is an article that is a good overview of what schools are doing to train teachers to integrate technology in the classroom.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/
2008/11/
teachers_must_work_hard_to_kee.html
Post a Comment