The semester has flown by, the innovations have been great and the learning plentiful! Deciding on the title of this blog made me think, is this just the end of this unit, or the end of my blogging life?? I came to the conclusion that this may be the last blog as an educator for a while however I do not believe that this will be my last! The power of blogging has become apparent to me over the weeks. My one eye view was expanded when I realised how easily I had the world at my hands with the power of such tools as twitter. Asking for advice and comments from international educators that share the same objective of improving education was mind boggling to say the least.
The innovations I have become an ‘expert’ in over the weeks will not be left behind, one day (if not everyday) I will revisit all of these and integrate them into my classroom. Being life long learners involves being up-to-date with the world and technology. In answering the question (asked in the WebQuest) I believe it must be approached in a constructive way. My own experience with peers/family and friends is that people can become easily frustrated with technology when things don’t seem to go their way. The frustration often leads to neglect for technology and an un-willingness attitude to give it a go.
The most effective way to dissolve this digital divide can be done through the following ways:
Training- just as our weekly presenters explained each innovation and ‘taught’ us how to use it. Those who know how to use a particular piece of technology must share it with peers. Personal Development days would be appropriate for teachers in schools.
Wiki pages/resources- there is no easier way to learn than to have something explained in layman terms. Being able to read about an new innovation in a context that is relevant to the audience will clear any ambiguity that the learner has. A clear and concise wiki page is a perfect example of this.
Having experienced learning about new innovations via these two methods I know that it does work. There is the need to raise awareness to fellow peers of the power that technology can have in the classroom to enhance students learning.
Until next time…
Matt
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November 18th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Matt I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts over the past semester and your final post for the unit is no exception. I certainly agree with your comments – I think the opportunity to learn from one another as well as have a vehicle such as a wiki page to share resources is an excellent way to increase our technology skills and knowledge. I also believe that the supportive and positive environment established by everyone in this unit has encouraged individuals to take risks and experiment with the technology. Thank you for help this semester and supporting your colleagues. I look forward to reading your future posts. Lina