Back to School!

So I was not able to secure a full time teaching position, at least not yet, so I am doing the next best thing, I am taking courses to enrich my teaching abilities.  I am attending Eastern Florida (formerly Brevard Community College) and my declared major is Computer Technology.  I am taking two courses in residence and two courses online.    I am taking Speech and Intro to Micro-Computer Technology in residence and Keyboarding and Intro to Computers online. 

               

My first class, Intro to Micro-Computers, was Monday.  I was early to the class and I did what I always do, and scoped out the class.  The instructor claims to have 40 years of computer experience, so I look forward to gaining some valuable knowledge thru her tutelage.  I am one of the oldest in the class, but not THE oldest.  There is a nice balance of young and old in the class which should lead to some interesting dialog throughout the class. 

 

The class began with the instructor professing her distain for cell phones.  She does not want cell phones to be seen much less used.  She also does not want students using the computers while she is lecturing.  This is interesting being this is a computer class, and will no doubt require interaction with the computer later down the line.  One serious omission I noticed was that the instructor failed to do any type of ice-breaker.  The class simply proceeded after her introduction.  Ice Breakers, especially during a college class, serve to break the tension and help bring the class together.  I am not sure if this was an intentional calculation or if it was something she forgot about.  In either case, hope she corrects the omission in the next class.

 

The instructor definitely uses a teacher centered approach and relies solely on lecture for instruction.  I understand this is a college class where the dynamic is different from an Elementary School Class, however at least make an attempt to involve the class.  As the class proceeded you could almost feel the oxygen flowing out of the class.  While discipline will not be an issue, as we are all adults, class participation will become an issue.  There are 25 minds in this class, gaining information from each student will help with the classroom dynamic.

 

The course itself seems to be interesting and will cover the finer points of the MS Office 2013 programs.  The course s run through Pearson Labs and done almost exclusively online.  You submit your work for grading through a web based program.  I am honestly looking forward to proceeding and hope to be able to share some of the tips I learn. 

 

Next class is Speech tonight…can’t wait!

Is our formal, upper level education system part of the problem?

Took some time off, but I'm back now inspired and ready to move ahead!

Inspired by all the technology for education I have discovered through Twitter and social media, I decided to take a college course titled “Introduction to Technology for Teachers”.  While hind sight is always 20/20, I should have looked into the class a little more before attending.

I anticipated being introduced to things like Class Dojo, Live Folders, Google Plus, or even Twitter. To my dismay the course included nothing of the kind.  I was taught about Power Point, how to build a newsletter and a teacher webpage.  I was introduced to Web Quest and C-Palms, but nothing new.  This college level course really did nothing for me, and I was sadly disappointed.  This class failed to introduce me to anything I would call extremely useful.   

The failure of this class leads me to poses a question;  Is our formal, upper level education system part of the problem?  I took this college level course in hopes of being introduced to revolutionary new products and programs to help me in the classroom.  Instead I was shown the finer points of programs that have been in use for a decade.   So then, how can educators be expected to be “cutting edge” when our formal education systems haven’t caught up yet?

While pondering that question, I have another for you; it is the responsibility of primary educators to prepare our children for college and beyond, shouldn’t our colleges provide educators with the best tools available to do this?  In my class I was shown how to use Power Point.  Don’t get me wrong, I learned some new things about the program, but I feel Power Point is yesterday’s news.  So where do we turn to get up-to-date?

Personally I have learned more from links provided by those I follow on Twitter.  I have been introduced to some amazing programs such as Remind 101, Class Dojo, and We Video (along with countless others) through links on Twitter.  I have watched videos about using Green Screens to make videos, and sharing Google Docs through contacts on Twitter.  In my one month on Twitter (for free) I have learned more than in my 12 week class (that I paid $325 for).

Our education system is at a crossroads.  We must learn to adapt to the changing world.  We have technology available to us that we would have never dreamed of ten years ago.  Technology will continue to improve and will not wait for our education system to catch-up.  Refuse to accept the status quo!  If your administrators give you grief, show them technology’s potential.   Get ahead of the curve, your students will thank you for it.  Many fear that educators will, in the very near future, no longer be required.  Children can (and will) learn everything they need to know in the comfort of their own home through the internet.  Is that what is best?  Is that what we want?