When Was Your First Time?
Submitted by Debby Acevedo on Fri, 2009-07-17 15:49. Public
My first year of teaching was a struggle, I student taught in the mornings and had special certification to teach classes in the afternoon. What a year! When April rolled around and I thought that my learning curve was finally becoming manageable, I was called into the principal's office. It seems that teachers were required to have a certain number of professional development hours per year, and I being a newbie who didn't begin the school year with other teachers, wasn't aware. But the principal did have an idea; a new computer store was offering an introduction to basic computer use. So I found myself on an April Saturday morning earning professional development credit and learning how to use an Apple IIe. This was my first time--April 1982. How does my first experience with computers compare with that of students today? Many of our students might be like 13-year old Dylan who was profiled by the Edutopia Digital Generation Project. "'When I was two, my mom set me up with this huge ball mouse with the most gigantic button. I used My Very First Software to learn the basics of both the alphabet and using a computer'" (Ellis. p. 5). Even our students who didn't have that kind of early home introduction to technology share much of Dylan's self confidence and eagerness in using technology that is an accepted part of their world. It's no wonder that students are hungry to use this medium with which they are so familiar. Technology has always been a part of their lives. They rush home from school to play online games, build web sites, and to communicate with their friends. Our assignment this year is to harness the many ways we can integrate technology into student learning, not as an end in itself, but as a tool that will bring more excitement and a higher level of engagement to our classrooms. Imagine these students rushing to school with the same enthusiasm because they know that we will meet them where they are. Have no fear. All it takes is an open mind and a willingness to learn with our students--even if it's your first time. Ellis, Ken. "Up Front: The Digital Generation," Edutopia. June-July 2009, p. 5.
