At the beginning of this school year, I learnt excitedly (keyword) from my daughter first, and later in the upcoming Weekly School Newsletter, that all Grade 5 students would be getting their own laptops! Also, at Elementary level, it is mandatory for the homeroom teacher to attend all IT (Information Technology) classes along with their students. Each student, teacher, and parent have to sign the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) which highlights responsible use of the Internet, citing resources other than those originally posted, and respectful online behavior to an internal and global audience. Signed and dated.
This is an authentic document by the school. We have been signing this for the past 3 years. The school preaches, practices, and adheres to technology and its uses to resonate its 5 CORE values - Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, Respect, and Responsibilty - all merging to inspire each student to be 'a passionate learner' (taken from part of American School of Dubai Mission statement).
I can vouch from my own daughter's change in behavior toward a more independent, resilient, experimental, and mature approach to the positive, powerful, meaningful, and connected use of all the tools that have come her way: Last year the school hosted their own Google Summit. It was open to public. My daughter was representing Voicethread. She had her presentation to go, excited voices surrounding a unit of discussion, comments, instant teacher feedback - an ongoing dialogue that was captured and featured.
Diigo has indeed created a location that safely allows for information to be archived, bookmarked, annotated, shared for any kind of research or collaborative purposes. Its features have only sprouted from what was, by us, comfortably used and done - underlining in pencil, jotting quick sidenotes, making 'dog ears' in case there wasn't a bookmark around, and cutting and gluing pictures. If these earlier procedures are able to be reproduced in order for us to be more efficient so that room can be further made for future creativity and strides... then it is one that has supported and enhanced our ongoing learning community.
For this to trickle successfully into the classroom, a school preps itself, its teachers, the students, and the parents to support student learning. Acknowledging/addressing the technological strides 'out there' and bringing it 'in house' completely resonates with Sarah's thoughts in her post, "I predict that the educator groups in this Community will change research I do for my own professional development."
It is a concerted effort. The constance of CHANGE and the VARIETY within our teaching and learning community make it imperative that a shared and viable vision is at the end of the rainbow.
No comments:
Post a Comment