Discussion Board - Topic 2

My school district as a rule has tried to stay on top of current technology: a Smartboard in most K-12 classroms, a laptop for every high school learner, mobile laptop labs for every pod, desktop computer labs, several video cameras in the LMC available for student use, tech labs that are truly unbelievable (we even have a wind-tunnel), in-house Television studios in the middle & high school, along with several LMSs for teachers and students. However, this is in my classroom: my personal overhead, three of the oldest computers in the school (hence, the slowest connection in the district as confirm by the IT department), and an ancient television that is connected to my school desktop computer (which may or may not work on any given day). I am at the bottom of the pile when it comes to any technology the district offers. Content teachers are considered ‘more’ important, although I have more freedom to permit learners to experiment with the latest technologies and applications. Yet I am the one to access and use what is available! I share a mobile lab with a fifth-grade pod and only have access for one week each marking period, but I make the most of it. My eighth graders create a product, write a thirty-second commercial, video, then edit, and ultimately, upload the final product to my Viddler site (this hasn’t hit the firewall as of yet!). I also use Viddler to show commercials for my eighth graders to critique during my Advertising unit. I have created a PowerPoint on the history of toys and games for my seventh grade Babysitting course, and post my daily question & outcomes via PowerPoint for every class. My fifth graders use the computers to play My Pyramid online games. I am currently in conversation with the IT department to have certain sites unblocked for the betterment of my classes.