Glenn Kleiman's article really spooked me! Allow me to elaborate. It's not his words that I found disturbing or his myth-busting - it was the fact that all of the myths seem to have been written about the school district in which I am teaching!
Besides the PC at my desk, my classroom has two computers for student use. My largest class contains 27 students and my smallest class (a math intervention class) is comprised of 14 students (when they are all present). Other than Fun Brain, a software program that resembles nothing more than a video game that is disguised with some math, the kids can use a program called Success Maker which does not always include the units that the students are studying at a given time.
I have access to the computer lab when I want it but that only allows for the same software the students can use in my classroom but affords access to the entire class at one time. That is the extent of technology that I have available through the district.
It is apparent to me that I will have to spend more than the 12-hour days on campus that I have been putting in as a new teacher to research and/or create appropriate technological links for my students in order to have the rich inter-woven technology the kids so desperately need and want!
Our middle school is a Title I school and I do not see the equity between our school district and the more affluent ones. Although I may be a babe in the woods in regard to the world of education, I can see that only the cursory steps required for federal funding have been made regarding technology in our district.
I attended a "class" at our in-service this past Friday and was thrilled to see all of the technology that is available to educators in our district but became even more aware after the mini-class that the students were not the direct beneficiaries of such technology. I have a lot of questions for our district IT director in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned!
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Great post Wendy! I found myself thinking many of the same things too. My classroom has two very old computers that sometimes do not work and the internet connection is questionable. All of the computers in my classroom have Microsoft Office, but do not have any other educational software whatsoever. It's frustrating. I feel your pain. Good luck in your quest to integrate technology into your classroom.
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