For those of you who have noticed the absence of my articles, I can only say that I, like Alice, had fallen down the rabbit hole. That is where the similarity ends, however, as I never saw a grinning cat or a white rabbit with a pocket watch. No, no….my rabbit hole was of an educational kind. And, boy, it’s a doozy!
I have been working to bring more lessons to my students involving technology. This has involved a great deal of research and work on my part. These things, on top of my own studies for my PhD, family time, robotics meetings, and regular duties at work have kept me…well….hopping. I am not complaining, mind you, merely explaining.
Now I want to tell you about our latest project. All the prep work and research has paid off! My students have been hard at work creating projects to put into their own classroom wikispaces. Using concepts learned in class such as theme, character, and plot they are creating games, book trailers, and so much more. Some of them are writing their own songs. They are discovering the joys (and pains) of technology. They are solving problems, working together, and creating. It’s truly amazing to see. Using a secure social network (Edmodo) I am able to chat with my students and them with each other on their own time to collaborate even more. Through trial and error and working, they are learning about iMovie, podcasting, music writing, script writing, editing – and all using concepts they learned while reading novels.
As a reading teacher, I often have to shift focus to what is expected of the students on TAKS. Well, guess what. That has not changed. All these concepts are things they will be tested over. The difference? I’m not flooding their lives with worksheets. It is commonly understood that kids learn best by doing. I have seen this myself in my years of teaching. Are they learning the concepts? Sure. Are they having fun in the process? Yep. Is that ok? Absolutely!
Now they are in the final stages of building their wikispaces, I have already made the link for them on my school webpage, and they are still enjoying their work. It is nice to see them being successful doing something they enjoy. They are helping each other and, for the most part, they are even getting along.
I will close by saying this about technology in the classrooms: technology is more than just doing the same thing in a different way. It’s not just about replacing one method for another. Technology in the classroom is about an entirely new way of thinking and teaching. Rather than lecturing, I am mentoring and facilitating. We are trouble shooting together, problem solving together, and learning together. They are teaching each other and they are teaching me. Technology in the classroom can be interwoven within the curriculum with ease, providing more valuable, meaningful experiences for the students. It’s not just trading paper for a computer – it’s opening up whole new experiences that can be richer and fuller. And I’m not talking about just for the students….I’m talking about for the teachers, too.
It requires work. It takes planning. It needs patience. But it can be very rewarding.
For now…I’m back down the rabbit hole….happy spring!
Christine Moore currently holds a degree from Howard Payne University and recently earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She is now working on her Ph.D. in Educational Technology at Walden University. Married with four children who attend Brownwood schools, Christine teaches 6th grade reading in Brownwood and has been working in education at various levels for the past 15 years. Christine welcomes your questions and comments and would love to hear from you!
