Taking the plunge into Wiki-world this week with my college-level seniors. Why them and not the younger kids? Because these seniors are a fun group that want to play with technology and are willing to take risks. I've discovered the sophomore class I have is really risk-adverse. They're afraid to try anything new because they have no previous understanding as to how it works...or how it will affect their grade. That class also has trouble with access. Several of my sophomores have no computer at home and/or few skills when it comes to technology. While the media likes to make it seem as if every student carries a cell phone, Ipod or an MP3 player, the reality is far from the truth.
I'm a lover of new technologies and am often looking for ways to use them to my advantage in class. But there's no advantage if the kids don't actually HAVE the technology available. Comfort comes only from familiarity. How can I expect my kids to get excited about using a new way of commuication when, for so many of them, it's simply another slap in the face with something they don't have and aren't going to have for the forseeable future?
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project is promising...but I wish I could find a rich benefactor that would be willing to buy them for this rural American district. No...that wouldn't work. Those little green machines are designed for little fingers, and I have high school students with adult-sized hands. Hands that hate pen and keyboard alike because they've already been beaten down so many times, they no longer wish to try.
I'm speaking in generalities, of course. With a room filled with laptops (caveat: laptops that WORK) I could move them from their apathy. I'm a teacher, which means I'm also a cheerleader and I can make them all feel good about themselves while doing difficult work.
Oh, dear. This turned into another rant. Sorry about that. I will try to post again later today and put up something that's actually USEFUL!
CD
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