Conversations

8.1 conversations
i have posted a sticky on wallwishers regarding: Does Technology help students social skills or hurt them: That's like saying did the invention of telephone help or hurt us. Both can be answered this way: they can can do both, help and hunder. Technology is quick and easy if you have all the equipment and use it judicisly to help you get things done, to find information, to respond. It can be a hundrance as it can always be beckoning you to answer, use and get lost in it using up your precious time. people don't realize how much time elaspes when they are using technology. It must be monitored. It can make people a slave to it. It can keep them focused on a screen and never practice face/face social skills. It can make one immune to peoples expressions/reactions/body language which is how humans communicate effectively. We need that face to face for dynamic communication. Below I will embed the wallwisher "sticky posts" with mine and others input to this question. 

8.3 Teacher conversations
after reading the article on Edutopia I can see that Malden is "getting there" with infusion of technology in Labs and on portable carts. This is monumental compared to other districts. We have quite a lot of computer technology throughout our system. It will always be that there will be "pioneers" embracing any new endeavor as witnessed all through history. Horrary for them! So this is step one in Malden. Yes we collaborate within disciplines, try to incorporate the latest/greatest for our students and sharing of info. What holds us back is time and instruction in these new areas. We need the pioneers to get us going, we need time to absorb and practice with baby steps. Would it matter if everyone "stampeded Westward' at the same time when we were reaching out in the 19th century--look we have all arrived at the destination. No question, we all must move in this direction. My department collaborates on new and "office/job related initiatives. The business world still is in brick and motar for the most part, they deal face/face with clients/employees, yes they use 21st centry technology but it is not the only way to accomplish business, Face to face is still vital, look at the commericals that plug face/face. Obviously, we need a blend of all this. We need to jump in, work together, practice and utilize it with our classes, get invovled and get comfortable. I like the collaboration part of this new technology piece. It is a hugh buy-in--- for time strapped teachers. We need to collaborate with each other, share new techniques and practice them, turning them into viable teaching tools for students. Time is such a big factor. I like this learning, I enjoy it, but there is a price one pays... There is a price to all this--It is Sunday and I am not with my family, I do not have down time, it is taxing, but it is the only time I have to concentrate and work with this 21st century technology 3 hours alone today. I appreciate being included and am learning so much, it is a juggling act.