Technology in Education...

I often get to thinking about schools and technology.  Since I'm such a fan and user of multiple devices and numerous tools, my kids are too.  I see the things they can do with technology at a very young age. 

I also see from the education side that there are robust tools available even today that can effectively connect with children of all ages and get them involved in their education.  Tools that allow for collaborative learning and true learning experiences. 

My thought for today is that when we have conversations about technology, we'll be challenged and will have to go outside our comfort zone to understand what impact truly embracing technology will bring.

Let's go there.  Let's embrace the thought of keeping up.  Schools should have the current technology and we can help them get there.  We just need to start the conversations and push through the challenges.

Ok, until next time.

Friday Inspiration - Blog Talk Radio

Today, I have for you a great Friday inspiration resource. 

The reason it's great is because in today's fast paced world, you can do more than one thing at once.  If you are watching TV, you also want to be on the computer.  We're multi-taskers.  So, throw on a blog radio program of something that interests you while you are doing something else.  I know you'll enjoy it!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com

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Keep the conversation going on twitter - twitter.com/believekids
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Fundraising Companies are NOT the Enemy When it Comes to Education Innovation

We're hearing a lot of bad news on the school front.  Lower performance, shrinking budgets, schools closing, teacher layoffs.  While schools are getting less, they are also on the verge of sweeping educational reform.

Schools are embracing technology in new and exciting ways allowing teachers to improve their relationships with parents.  We're really only seeing the very beginning.  Student's are using devices, computers, social media and technology at home.  The challenge is bringing schools up to speed with new and collaborative ways of learning.

There are many companies in support of improving education.  Some relationships based on profit, some on supplying commodities and some based on education innovation.

Many see schools as a business segment where a good is sold to a school at a profit.  Some see education as just any other business that buys cleaning supplies, paper and other commodity type products.  Even fewer see schools as dynamic, changing systems that need improvement.  This last category brings innovation and change to the market.

I see fundraising as the latter. 

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In my next post, I'll explore just how fundraising will be a part of educational reform and the technological changes on the horizon.

Schools and Technology... Changing Perceptions in the Mind of the Community.

Ask a random member of your community if they think the local elementary school is on the cutting edge of technology and most likely, they'll be thinking overhead projectors and VHS tapes.

I applaud educators today for pushing to improve the reputation of teachers when it comes to technology.  I no longer picture a teacher as purely a red pen, loose paper, dusty book person.  I picture educators as Macbook toting, Smartboard using folks planning their classes on an iPad.

So, here's the trouble.  When your average person pictures a school, they do not imagine a well-designed modern layout with comfortable furniture and quiet voices. They do not see subdued indirect lighting.  They do not envision students on the newest technology available.  They do not imagine students truly engaged.

They hear the clicks and squeaks of shoes in long echo filled hallways, the grinding of pencils being sharpened and outdated textbooks hitting the desks.  In the mind, the school is exactly as it has always been.  Loud, sterile and behind-the-times. They picture a lot of horseplay and talking back.

Change takes time and that's why I have so much respect for the educators in my PLN (my Personal Learning Network).  I see first-hand what technology and communication can do to improve learning.  The development of the educators that have embraced sites like twitter and express themselves with blogs such as this one is mind-boggling.  The desire to integrate apps and devices and create an environment where collaborative learning replaces memorization.

There is no doubt in my mind that our current educators can bring a new level of awareness and reform education.  Here's proof that our educators are on the cutting edge:

2010 Edublog Award Winners

If you take a look at some of the winners listed here, you'll get the idea that blogging, social media, technology and new strategies are being widely distributed TODAY.

And the kids are ready for it!  Right now, our toddlers are fully capable of operating computers and apps of all types.

My son just turned 4 years old and can surf YouTube, find age appropriate Netflix content to watch without help, take photos and videos and play them back and he can easily operate a number of educational apps without supervision. I know that sounds like he must be online all the time but it's not that he's always using technology.  He's a regular boy and plays and we do a lot of fun things together - He's just pretty darn good at it now that the devices are as intuitive as they are today.

This phenomenon is not just happening to just a few kids.  Take a look at this:

Learning to Play ‘Angry Birds’ Before You Can Tie Your Shoes

The technology gap between home and school could just as easily widen if school budgets don't allow for integrating technology into the classroom creating a dynamic where students don't relate to school as well. Although I'm no expert here, what I do know is that children like to be challenged.  Not being up-to-date is just not all that interesting.

This is why I respect schools that pay attention to design, lighting, comfort, computers & devices, video, sound reinforcement and simplicity.  I also applaud educators that push the boundaries discovering new and exciting ways to engage students and inspire others.

In the end, changing schools is going to be a long haul but I believe it can be done.

People will have to see for themselves this 'new school' is dedicated to the integration of technology and new principles of learning in order to believe it.  It will have to shatter the expectation that the school was created from the 'hand-me-downs' of the business sector and let it be known that the educators actually know how to use the technology.

We can get there and it will happen when thousands upon thousands of little actions improve the way schools work.  I see these improvements daily from the educators in my PLN and I am impressed.  It's perhaps not yet a movement, but it is something powerful.

I, for one, look forward to following these small innovations all along the way.  Things will soon look very different as a result.

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Jay Moneta is the Vice President of Believe Kids Fundraising and blogs here at BelieveJay.Blogspot.com as well as TheFundraisingPln.com


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Here's the article that inspired this post: Tightrope Teaching