The greatest technology class I ever had in high school was typewriter keyboarding. It was a class I loved and practiced and excelled in. There weren't computers in high school and there weren't any in college either. I made a couple of dollars typing papers for other students. Those lessons I learned in high school have served me well!
My first meeting with a computer was the Apple IIE. A friend showed it to me and I was not so impressed and thought it was a passing fad. Two years later I had one in my classroom and I was hooked!
Today, my students are more savvy with technology than I was my first years of teaching. At first grade they can surf the web pretty well. They know how to find movies on Netflix, and use apps on their parent's smartphones.
What hasn't changed is children's need to connect with each other and with loving adults in their lives. The ability to make lasting relationships is as important now as it was when I was a kid. I don't have a lot of technology in my classroom and I can't say I want to have a whole lot more. Sometimes I think technology takes away a child's ability to imagine, create and daydream. Being "bored" gives children the time to find creative ways to fill gaps of time. My technology of choice is probably a blank piece of paper and a pencil. Let them draw, imagine, and create.
Don't get me wrong. I do feel there is a place for technology in the classroom. My favorite fee site is :Click on it and check it out!
If you want to pay a bit of money, or if your district has heavy pockets, this is the subscription that you don't want to miss out on:
Ticket to Read builds fluency, and phonics skills. I love it and use it with all of my students. I can hardly wait to give them their log in information on the first day of school. The first day is coming soon, so I better get to bed! No matter how much technology we have, we still all need our eight hours!
