No Access, No Use, No Impact is an article that challenges whether or not technology use is actually triggering student learning. The article points out that several schools have only one computer per classroom, and so there is almost No Access. Because there is No Access to computer software and internet resources, there is No Use. Because there is is No Use, there is No Impact on student learning.
This article spoke to me as a result of this week's discussion with limited access to internet resources. However, with little access to websites from the start, it doesn't seem to matter too much how many computers are in the classroom, right? Hmmm...
Let me paint a picture and take you there: In my classroom, there are chalkboards. I do not have a SMART board. I have one desktop that is still operating with Windows 97, so it's access is limited because it is slow and dated. I do have a laptop issued by the school, but that too, is limited. Thus, I continue to hold fast to my motto "do more with less". But if the No Access, No Use, No Impact theory is true, how can I get around it? In a district where teachers receive RIF letters every year, there is very limited technology, and limited use to websites (security), how can I obtain more access? I try to be creative and make Power points, have students use the class blog for discussion, or even access the class wiki. But, I often feel as though I am running out of ideas! So now, I am on the hunt for more and more ways to incorporate technology into my students' learning. \
What technologies do you use? Do you use something that others in your building do not? Is your technology availability large?
I only have one desktop in my classroom as well, and technology as far as being able to check out the laptops we have available at school is not usually prioritized for the music classroom. I DO have an LCD projector and an ELMO which has provided me with some additional technology use in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're doing quite a bit for a classroom with limited technology availability and you should be proud of yourself for that! The fact that you are continuing to look for other new and different ways to bring technology into your classes is also very admirable.
I think that you might be able to write a grant for a SmartBoard if that is something you think would enhance your classroom and motivate your students to think about technology differently. That's my goal for this next year. I feel like having something that helps students visualize the 'process' of the activities we're doing would be very good for them.
Again - I applaud you for all that you've done and are doing! Keep it up! Your students are lucky to have you.
What is an ELMO?
ReplyDeleteActually, the principal allowed two teachers to submit a proposal to her about how we would use a SMART board to enhance student learning in our classrooms. Only two teachers would be selected to have these SMARTboards. I will be the recipient of one and I am so excited about the many uses that the SMARTboard will afford me.
It sounds like our situations are similar. We are both trying to find many ways to integrate technology into our classrooms, without much of it :-)
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade or go thirsty. The challenges you face are significant. Does your school have a technology committee that can address not only the school's basic needs and requirements for technology integration but how to deal with the reality of the situation. (old out dated software and hardware, limited access etc.) There's a great scene in Apollo 13 where one of the main characters makes a comment about the spacecraft and its capabilities. "I don't care what it was designed to do, I want to know what it can do." Maybe using that same mantra, you can develop ways to overcome the barriers you face on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteWe do not currently have a technology committee. However, since I am one of the three teachers enrolled in this Instructional Technology program, we will serve as the committee, so to speak. So, until I have acquired the information, there is nothing I can do. I must learn on my own and do what I can with what I have. Thus, I a, making the best lemonade I possibly can!
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