Drape's Takes

I just finished teaching a class for National University: EDT 612 - Teaching with Technology. The class is for teachers that are attempting to earn both a Master's Degree and National Board Certification.
To begin the class, I had the teachers create a Gmail account and then I gave them a quick tour of Google. In discussing Google and its many tools, we also spoke about using technology in the classroom with their students. Several mentioned how easy it is for students to use technology, and how intimidating this fact can be.

I continued the discussion by showing them Pay Attention. As they were watching the video, I added the teachers as guest authors in our class blog. Following the video, I asked them to write a post reflecting on what they just saw.

Their posts were very eye-opening.

Not once in the discussion did the difficulty of implementing technology ever arise. Not once did the teachers mention the problems with acquiring money for purchasing technology or the hassles of controlling the misuse of technology by their students. These issues weren't made known to me until the writing (on the blog) had taken place. Or rather, the writing had allowed them to express their fears, as well as their excitement regarding technology and its uses in teaching. The ten minutes it took me to create our class blog was a small price to pay for the insight I received from the teachers' posts.

Reason #2: It can be easier to write that which is difficult to say.

Without our class blog, the difficult issues that needed to be discussed would probably never have been talked about. In writing, difficult things can sometimes be easily said.

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