BFTP: I will as a teacher

I Will As a Teacher

Let’s have a little competition at school and get ready for the future. I, as a teacher, 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 and place them online where students can access them easily 
        - 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 and speak more slowly.
• I give my students a world-wide audience for their creative work
        – you will share your students' work with the rest of the class. Sometimes.
• I will give my students access to study materials and resources online 24/7
       - you hope they remember to bring home the textbook and worksheets.
• I will honor the range of reading abilities and interest of my students by providing topical materials on a variety of reading levels and subjects
        - you will use the basal reader and the textbook.
• I will allow my students to take their learning as far as they want
        – you will keep everyone at the same place at the same time.
• 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 out report cards and have two parent-teacher conferences a year.
• I will use the information gathered from computerized value-added testing to know exactly what my individual students' strengths and weakness are
       - you will use whole group instruction.
• I will stay current on best educational practices using online databases, listservs, professional blogs, and the myriad of news sources
       - you can go to a conference once a year and read routed professional journals if they get to you.
• I will create a personal learning network with educational leaders, experts and colleagues using e-mail and social networks
        – you will try to remember the advice of the instructor in your college methods class from 1980.
• I will collaborate with my peers from around the world
       – you will stay behind your classroom door.
• 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
       - you will use the teacher's guide.
• I will harness the power of personal devices in the classroom to provide an interactive learning experience through response systems and tools
      - you will ask students to raise their hand before they speak. 

• The cost of a laptop per year? - $200
• The cost of teacher training? – Expensive, but no more so than other staff development activities
• The cost of effective schools? - Priceless

My notes show this was a take-off on a John Pederson posting, I Will for which the link no longer seems to work. I also show it  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

Original post January 19, 2006 and updated August 18, 2009.

Comments

[Josh Garrett]

Hello, my name is Josh Garrett. I am enrolled in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. My twitter address is @jgarrett168.
I was assigned to read your blog post and comment on it.
I must say that I really enjoyed reading your post. I feel like your post really put the use of technology in the classroom in perspective. There are so many more advantages to using a laptop as opposed to administering a lesson by hand. The benefits are virtually immeasurable. There is so much more information that can be obtained and put to use in the classroom than in the past. Keep up the good work and I will be following your blogs periodically!

[Doug Johnson]

Thanks for the note, Josh. I hope you don't feel reading the blog is too onerous an assignment.

My only request is that one day, when you are old and hopefully wise, you will share your thoughts with other teachers.

Best of luck in your schooling,

Doug

[Josh Garrett]

Hey Doug, I really enjoyed reading your blog do not at all see it as an assignment. Rather, I see it as a chance to learn from an experienced educator. I will absolutely share my thoughts down the road with future teachers. By sharing information, both students and teachers will benefit. Take care and stay in touch!

Josh

[Kenn Gorman]

Just finished a short section on computer ethics and acceptable use policies - I tried to explain to the students that it is more likely that people will remember (and abide by) DO THIS vs DON'T DO THIS.

I like the lists being I WILL - positive!

[Doug Johnson]

Thanks, Kenn. Hope your year is off to a good start.

Doug