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I will be starting a new position teaching computer skills in a different elementary school. The school demographics are very similar to my current school, but the administrator is a real leader and has a great reputation, so I’m looking forward to working with him a lot. It will be a big change, I will be teaching 45 minute periods for grades 1 to 6. I’m starting to do some planning at: oakridgeedtech wiki If you have any suggestions, etc. drop me a line.
I also will need to finish up classes to get supplemental credentialing for this job. If you have a lead on online ed tech classes, specifically ones dealing with hardware or networking, pass the info along.
In addition to the new job, I will be a technology trainer for my district. I got a spanky new laptop (still an HP, it’s a district thing), that is much lighter, and not at the end of it’s viable life, like my last one.
6 responses so far ↓
1
Mathew
// Jun 28, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Congratulations. You are certainly doing some engaging projects with technology and I hope your new position will allow you increase your sphere of influence.
2
blogwalker
// Jun 28, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Congratulations, Alice. I’ll miss not having your 5th grade blog to point teachers to. Believe me, you probably have no idea how many you have inspired. I’m heading into your wiki right now.
3
Kobus van Wyk
// Jun 29, 2007 at 11:24 am
Let me add my congratulations on your new post! I hope things go well (I am sure it will!).
It is interesting that you mention that you will be teaching computer skills to grades 1 to 6. We have adopted a policy of not having a teacher teaching computer skills at all. Each teacher is empowered to take her/his own children to the computer facility and the purpose of the session must have a curriculum focus (computer skills is not part of our curriculum); so that means the teacher must focus on maths, or reading, or something like this. Computer skills are not taught per se, only on a needs basis; the kids are so good these days, they pick the skills up more or less automatically.
What are your views on this? It would be most enlightening to get your perspective.
4
alicemercer
// Jun 29, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Kobus, thank you for questioning my position (and doing it so politely). I questioned it myself before taking this position. Here are the cons and pros of having a computer class:
Cons:
1. As you point out, kids should learn technology skills in the context of learning other subjects, not in isolation.
2. It’s easy for regular classroom teachers to ignore technology instruction and rely on the computer lab instructor to do it.
Pros:
1. There are not enough teachers that are competent enough technologically to teach competently with computers at this point. Many, when left to schedule their own time at the computer lab, will not do so, putting the emphasis on lecture and text instruction. To ensure this does not continue, teachers in my position are expected to do in-service trainings to bring up the skills set of our fellow teachers.
2. The lab, when “owned” by a teacher, is better maintained because it’s not a commons (a weak point in this argument).
3. Just because I’m teaching skills, doesn’t mean I can’t embed that instruction into core curriculum. I plan to collaborate with my peers to tie in what students are studying to what I’m teaching.
It’s sort of like the school library. I find that the school library is better utilized if there is a librarian, than if classes are just brought in by their regular teacher. That being said, I definitely agree with your point about not teaching the skills in isolation.
5
Kobus van Wyk
// Jun 30, 2007 at 1:07 am
Alice, the point that you make about teachers being unwilling to take their learners into the computer lab is one that we are also battling with. One has to continue to coerce, threather, cajole to take up their slots on the schedule to take their class into the lab. I like your idea of a computer teacher being there, not only to teach IT to the learners, but also to the teachers. And in our experience, the problem is not so much the teaching of IT skills to teachers (that is the easy part), but training them to integrate the technology into the curriculum delivery process. I must explore the notion of a resident computer teacher a bit further. At present we are using “facilitators”, that is contract teachers who would visit the schools once a week to assist the teachers; the progress, however, is slow. One may be able to pick up speed if one has a resident computer teacher at the school.
What I also find very interesting is that, after many years of being exposed to technology, some of your teachers are still unwilling horses at the water trough! Once again, we are not so different, after all.
6
durff
// Jul 8, 2007 at 1:05 pm
When I taught elementary computer…I always found listing Bonus.com as the “if you get done early and do a good job” site. It amazingly increases quality and productivity.
I have been using it this summer too. Works best with the younger primary grades and not so well with 5th and 6th.
You will love your new job!
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