Beginning in elementary school, I always looked forward to my computer class. Computer class at my elementary school started in Kindergarden, where we would each be assigned a huge Mac desktop computer in the computer lab. We would draw pictures and create various art on Kid Pix, or learn how to type properly on a computer with fun little games. Later in elementary school, around fifth grade, we were each given our very own MacBook, and that was extremely exciting. I was in fifth grade around 2005; which was right around the time when the first MacBooks even came out for the first time, so our school was very lucky to get however many MacBooks we did. However, we didn't do anything exciting with our brand new exciting MacBooks. In fifth and sixth grade we used our MacBooks for research projects, essays, and various papers. Presently at my old elementary school, each child K-6 is given there very own iPad that they can take home with them.
For middle school, it was the same kind of deal like at my elementary school. We were each assigned a MacBook that we could use throughout our middle and high school experience. We would use the MacBooks mainly in science, history, or english, where we would use them for various research projects and not much else. We never really had an opportunity to do anything really groundbreaking or different with the technology given to us, so that was kind of disappointing as a preteen. Although, I do remember one semi-cool project that we did in seventh grade history with the "rival" middle school across town. Each seventh grader was paired with a 'pen pal' from the other school. It was like regular pen pals except instead of sending letters, it was sending emails to get to know each other. We had these pen pals all year and we were given a significant person in history to research on our own, and then share with our pen pals what we found. A little later in the year, the other middle school came to our school and we got together with our pen pals and created posters for our topic and then presented them to other groups. I thought it was pretty cool at the time to collaborate with kids across town at the other middle school and then come together and share what we had learned all year, all because of the internet.
In high school it was the same deal. We had the same MacBooks since middle school that we could use, but most students had their own laptops that they would bring and use in class. If we were to use our laptops in class, it would always be for research or working on papers, essays, and projects. It was never for anything else. By my junior year, we were also all assigned a iPad, which were literally never used. I can't even remember one time in my high school career that I used an iPad, so that was kind of a waste. In my senior year of high school, I took a class called 'Stories of Hope: A Journey to Rwanda'. This class was offered at my school because my high school sponsored a school in Rwanda that a group of students would go visit every spring break to volunteer at. In this class, we got the opportunity to Skype ever so often with students or teachers from this school in Rwanda. We also Skyped with a lot of other people all over the world in that class, and we got to ask them questions so it was like they were really there in real life. Another cool thing with Skype that I experienced was in my French 6 Honors class. Myself and the other four students in my french class got the opportunity to listen to elementary school children in France present projects in English via Skype. It was so cool to be able to collaborate with children in France. Other than those two experiences, computers were only used for research and writing papers.
In the future for my Kindergarden students, I plan to incorporate technology in our every day activities. In my experience with working with 5 year olds, I've noticed that they are all very curious and interested in technology. I want to encourage this curiosity by incorporating various forms of media and technology outlets in my classroom lessons. I don't know how difficult incorporating technology into my lessons will be with a group of 5 year olds, but I'm willing to try my best to make it work out. I want to take my experience with working with computers at the age of five in Kindergarden, and bring that into my classroom to instill that my students are tech-savvy. I hope that I work in a school district where they can afford to provide our students with smart boards, laptops, and other forms of technology, and if not, then I plan to create some form of accommodation so that my students can have access to what its like to learn with technology.
That's awesome that you had the privilege to have access to computers at all times. In my middle school we had pen pals too but we never had the opportunity to use computers, so thats awesome! In my high school we had a handful of computer rooms where almost none of the computers worked but we also had one really small class room filled with about 6-7 Mac computers but only for the students that had to take a computer class. I agree with you with incorporating technology in the students everyday life. Trying to get them involved as much as possible even if its a bit of a struggle its still really important.
ReplyDeleteIt was awesome that I was lucky to have a lot of access to technology all the time. Not a lot of students in their educational careers have the privilege to use computers and laptops in the classrooms. Absolutely, getting children to participate as much as possible will be easy with technology in the classrooms.
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