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Out of the Vacuum

phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg [1]I recently received a blog article from ISTE about being prepared for tech month. Barry Bachenheimer wrote, “You can’t make decisions in a vacuum. You have to have a shared vision. Empowerment, assessment and engagement all require shared vision.” I began to think about my own experiences with integrating technology in education and what it means to be a transformational leader. Studies have show collaboration and professional development help hone the teacher’s skills and thrust 21st century learning in the classroom. However the people that need to be empowered are the students! How many times do we ask them about what technology they need or want or how it affects their lives? I asked my fifth grade students what they thought a digital classroom should be like, thinking about how we do things in our own classroom. I got out of my own vacuum and began to empower the young learners in my classroom, having them imagine what could be. So all you tech leaders out there who want to make changes listen up to a group of 5th graders who have some BIG ideas!

When you think about technology in the classroom what do you think about?

What kinds of technology should be in a classroom?

Think about your experiences with the Google Drive. What things do you love about that technology?

If you could meet with the principal of the school and tell her how using technology effects your learning, what would you tell her?

Reference:

https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=284&category=ISTE-Connects-blog&article=Are%20you%20prepared%20for%20tech%20planning%20month&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=EdTekHub [2]

About the Author: Rayna Freedman is beginning her 15th year at the Jordan/Jackson Elementary School in Mansfield, MA. She has taught grades 3-5 and is an ITS. She is also embarking on her doctorate through Northeastern as she hopes to change the field of education some day. Rayna is a member of the MassCUE Board of Directosr and has been presenting at the annual conference since 2010. She serves on the DESE Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards Panel and was the North Attleboro Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year in 2011.

For more articles by Ms. Freedman, she is published in Early Childhood Education Today 12th and 13th edition, Building Teachers: A Constructivist Approach to Introducing Education 2nd edition, and Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education 7th edition.