Teaching with Technology... Teaching in the century we live in today, requires a bit of change from the past to now. We all grew up with paper, pencil, text books, and did just fine. Yet, we also went outside at different times of the day and had libraries we had to go to, to check out books, imaginary games to play with friends, and bikes to ride or Pogo sticks to jump on. It's not that these things do not exist now, it's that everything can now be done by our devices. Things like book downloads, or virtual gaming, even Just Dance, or exercise games have taking the world by storm, and lets not forget Pokemoning, designed to get your kids outside for some fresh air. This type of change, configures how a persons attention will be for the rest of their life. Games are always moving, changing, gaining rewards, and if its mastered those that made the game come out with a new better version for kids to play. This is the world we are living in, technology is in restaurants, businesses, corporate offices, and no matter the job your child is striving for, they must know how to use some sort of technology to be successful. So the next step we educators have to take is to bring technology into learning, weather it be at school or at home.
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What if they are Grounded?Sure, taking technology away has become a common consequence in many homes. The idea that technology can not be used for fun, verse technology being used to practice skills they are struggling in, is the question. When is it okay? What are they using it for? Can it be monitored?
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What if it does not work?Technology will be in some homework, and some practice skills. If it is required for the student to get on at home, then the educator will provide time in the Enrichment hour of the day, and during lunch recess for the student to make up that work, as long as the student and educator have discussed a time and day.
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What if we don't have it?Technology is not a necessity for school, anything that is required in technology can be substituted in written text. This is something that should be discussed the first week of school so that the educator is aware of their needs before homework and classwork begins.
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