I Will (as a teacher)

Once again, I am riffing from a John Pederson posting, I Will.  This was posted on the Abilene, Kansas High School Dialogue Buzz website:

Let’s have a little competition at school and get ready for the future. I will [as a student] use a laptop and you will use paper and pencil. Are you ready…?

• I will access up-to-date information - you have a textbook that is 5 years old.
• I will immediately know when I misspell a word – you have to wait until it’s graded.
• I will learn how to care for technology by using it – you will read about it.
• I will see math problems in 3D – you will do the odd problems.
• I will create artwork and poetry and share it with the world – you will share yours with the class.
• I will have 24/7 access – you have the entire class period.
• I will access the most dynamic information – yours will be printed and photocopied.
• I will communicate with leaders and experts using email – you will wait for Friday’s speaker.
• I will select my learning style – you will use the teacher’s favorite learning style.
• I will collaborate with my peers from around the world – you will collaborate with peers in your classroom.
• I will take my learning as far as I want – you must wait for the rest of the class.
• The cost of a laptop per year? - $250
• The cost of teacher and student training? – Expensive
• The cost of well educated US citizens and workforce? - Priceless

Could a teacher offer the same challenge?

Let’s have a little competition at school and get ready for the future. I will use a laptop and you will use paper and pencil. Are you ready…?

• I can provide up-to-date information to my students - you have a textbook that is 5 years old.
• I can find and change all my instructional materials, worksheets, study guides, tests, every year - you better hope the master is good enough for one more photocopy.
  
• I will model 21st century skills - technology, information-problem solving and life-long learning - you will lecture about them.
• I will provide my visual learners an accessible means of grasping concepts through multimedia resources - you can use simpler words..
• I give my students a world-wide audience for their creative work – you will share your students' work with the class.
• I will give my students access to study materials and resources for my class 24/7 - you hope they remember to bring home the textbook.
• I will communicate with my students and parents electronically - you can hope to catch them after class or at home in the evenings.
  
• I will give parents real-time access to how their children are performing in my class - you send our report cards and have two parent-teacher conferences a year.
• I will use the information gathered from computer enabled value-added testing to know exactly what my individual students' strengths and weakness are - you will use whole group instruction.
  
• I will communicate with educational leaders and experts using email – you will try to remember the advice of the instructor in your college methods class from 1980.
• I will honor the variety of reading abilities of my students by providing materials on a topic at a variety of reading levels - you will use the basal reader.
• I will collaborate with my peers from around the world – you will stay behind your classroom door.
• I will allow my students to take their learning as far as they want – you must keep everyone at the same place at the same time.
• The cost of a laptop per year? - $250
• The cost of teacher training? – Expensive, but no more so than other staff development activities
  
• The cost of effective schools? - Priceless

 And what might you add?

Comments

[Jacquie Henry]

What a picture you and John have painted! Our district is the poster child for this problem. We stumble along year after year, "making do". What a difference such a small investment would make! It is not just the investment of money - although that is a biggy for us right now. It is also the "rules" we have set up that require our kids to check their tech intelligence at the door and "step back in time." Exciting, challenging and innovative teachers are still the most important element in the classroom. But the money, the filtering and the "no electronic gizmo" rules are really holding us back.

[Margaret Stimson]

Thanks for your humor and thoughtful insights.

Here are a couple of additions for your teacher list...
I will save time by drawing on the generosity and genius of others who have created and shared digital versions of lesson plans, handbooks, templates, guidelines, reading lists, and more.

I will stay current, much easier to do with the existence of fresh online databases, listservs, professional blogs, and the myriad of news sources.

[Gladys Baya]

Once again, GREAT posting, Doug!
Funny, though, some teachers I know would object to integrate technology into process writing (my area of research) for the same reasons advocated here in its favour:
They believe:
1. students shouldn't be helped to spell accurately by a computer, or they'll never to do it themselves;
2. students shouldn't have irrestricted access to sources of information, reference materials and "experts", or they'll be able to plagiarize and cheat in their assignments;
3. students should not be allowed to work beyond the limits of the class period, or they won't learn to meet deadlines.

I swear I've heard such remarks! :P

NOTE: I might create something on my own site on this, but am going away for two weeks today, and just wanted to share this "tip of iceberg" with you today. Thanks for understanding!

Gladys

[Jacquie Henry]

I took your challenge. See what you think....
http://nlcommunities.com/communities/wanderings/archive/2006/01/26/49917.aspx

[Caitlyn]

Wow, that is really something. I am currently enrolled in an online course: Computers in Education, and we recently had a discussion in our forum about how important it really is to incorporate computer technology into our classrooms. I am one of those "traditionalists," though, and still see advantages to the pen and paper route. I mean, you can't get the same personality from a font as you can from a hand-written letter, and it feels a lot different to stare at a computer screen than to read a book and feel its pages etc., etc. But, sadly, my arguments are dwindling, especially after reading what you posted here. However, I will always stay strong in my stance that both are necessary to a classroom. Do you see any advantages to the pen and paper route?

[NIMS]

Good post, but have you thought about Education Technology before?

[Doug Johnson]

NIMS,

My job requires no thought what so ever.

Doug

[NIMS]

I was just thinking about I Will (as a teacher) and you've really helped out. Thanks!