I have written about the changes that have occurred in my classroom over the last two years with my classroom now having 24 networked computers that we can use in a vast array of ways. It has been an exciting time to be in our school as three of our four English teachers now have labs in their classrooms. In my room, I have used Moodle exclusively to organize and administer my classes. We upgraded to Moodle 2.0 this last spring and have discovered some issues I am trying to work out this summer. Otherwise, the use of Moodle has been beneficial to my students as they have felt much more prepared for the tech requirements they face in post-secondary education at even our local two year community college. The four year college students rave about being ahead of their peers--that makes me smile...
I like using tech in my teaching...it helps keep me fresh, but there are challenges. Dealing with blocked sites and applications, keeping students on task, and dealing with the wide range of tech skills that these "digital natives" bring with them to my room are just a few of the challenges. Additionally, Web 2.0 is so fluid...one can find a great site or online app that works great one day and the next it is down, costs $, or is gone. That being said, I try to approach the tech as just another part of the learning that is occurring in my English classroom. Some days it goes very smoothly--just like I drew it up--and others not so much...either way there is learning...even it is merely learning to deal with a frustrated teacher! Ha-ha!
So, tech is a constant in my room...trying to offer students as many responsible, authentic opportunities to explore and learn will continue...and even on those days when it seems like nothing is working as planned, we will move forward...that's what learning is all about...peace out!
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